Foresight
by Danilyss
Summary: What if you change events before they even happen? What if the opportunity arose from a very unusual set of circumstances? That is what happened when a strange event occurred on one ordinary day in Vale, when Zen is found at the center of it. Knowing everything to come, can he stop the Fall of Beacon and the events leading up to it taking place before they even happen?
1. Introduction

_Time: Midday_

 _Day: Unknown_

 _Location: Unknown_

A bright flash, a loud blast, then silence.

The heat felt intense, the sound of crackling fire echoing in his ears, the smell of ash and smoke filling his airways, slowly his eyes began to waver as his vision started to come back. Along with the sense of sight, so too did the feeling of a vomit inducing headache.

The street he was in appeared to be empty, or at least that's what it sounded like, or was it the low pitch hum that was echoing in his head, the occasional flickering of embers were the only sound that broke the silence.

His eyes felt heavy again, almost lapsing back into unconsciousness, only for a short while however as the sound of footsteps came within ear shot range, encroaching on his location, keeping him in a somewhat alerted state.

As the steps grew louder, it seemed that whoever they belonged to, moved with a slight rhythm. The sound that quickly filled the air, so too did it disappear.

 _Perhaps it's the emergency services, or just locals, curious as to what was going on,_ he couldn't tell and at that moment he couldn't care. All he wanted right now was the constant agonizing pain, searing in every fiber of his being to just end.

Although he had sensation in all his extremities he had no control to speak of .

 _Is this what paralysis feels like? Not too sure_ , he thought to himself.

He could at least turn his head and neck slightly, and as he did, a figure loomed above him as he lay there on the pavement. She seemed to be smiling, not of contempt or malice for his situation, _whatever that was right now,_ but more of a comforting, warm and friendly one as she looked down at him. Then extending a hand, she began to speak, appearing to do so with an excited yet calm manner. As he watched her mouth move as she talked, all he could hear from her were murmurs and muffles, the headache being responsible for the perceived incoherent speech from the newcomer.

"What?" He said, in a hoarse yet polite tone, using every last bit of energy he could muster in order to do so. Just saying that four letter word was enough to wind him, was it the fact he had only just woken up or rather slip out of unconsciousness, or was it the smoke from the nearby vegetation? Almost as if the sound of his own voice was enough to bring sound back into his world, he heard her voice as she repeated the phrase.

"I said salutations friend, my name is Penny. It appears that you may have spontaneously combusted, caused nearby flora to be burned, are the origin of a minor power outage to this street and you yourself appear to be in need of assistance. So I'm here to lend a hand." She explained. Overcoming the pain he raised his arm up accepting her hand, being brought back to his feet, the headache slightly subsided, he noticed that she stood a head taller as she addressed him.

"So tell me friend, what were you doing for this to happen?"

"I'm, not too sure..."

"Are you from around here? Was there anybody else nearby prior to this occurring?"

"I..I wouldn't know..."

"Oh, where are my manners, I forgot that I introduced myself, but never asked you what your name is, so who are you?"

"I...I...I can't remember... anything...at all."


	2. Chapter 1

Penny looked at him with a worried expression adorning her face, looking around, she thought for a moment before expressing her concern.

"Well, if you can't remember what happened, then we'll have to just wait and see if after some time you'll recover your memories. Perhaps if we walk around for awhile, that might help speed things up if you see something familiar. Here, put your arm over my shoulder...That's it, now just follow my lead."

As they staggered away from the epicentre of the blast, one thing came to his mind.

"There's a public restroom just here, you go in and I'll be right here, waiting." Penny gestured as she gave a reassuring smile.

As he ambled into the gents, he took a quick glance of himself in the mirror before entering one of the cubicles.

"URGH!"

In one fluid motion, his legs gave way, bracing himself with his hands as they latched onto the rim of the bowl. As soon as he had a firm grip, the floodgates opened as he emptied his stomachs' contents, the pain he was experiencing before this was all too much, and so the best solution his body could come up with was to eject all food from his gut.

Once it was over, e took a deep breath as he began to stand, and with that he came to the realisation;

 _I can feel everything, the pain is gone, well except for my throat that is_.

Then walking over to the faucet, this time taking a longer look at himself in the mirror.

The face that welcomed him had dark brown eyes, black bushy eye brows and short black hair to match. He had a tanned complexion and appeared to be clean shaven, he gave himself a small smile, although his teeth were a brilliant white, they weren't perfectly straight.

Stepping out, the girl in front of him seemed a little distracted, as if she was eager for him to return so they could continue on with their journey. Promptly changing the expression once she saw him, raising an eyebrow as well as beaming with a smirk.

"Well it's good to see that you have gotten some colour in your cheeks, and it looks like your stance is sturdier than when you entered, as if nothing had happened to you. Are you able to walk on your own, or did you still need me to support you?"

"Um- no, I'm, I'm pretty sure I'll manage now. And your right, I do feel a lot better, if not still confused, at least I don't have to worry about the infuriating pain I felt. Thank you for waiting for me by the way, uhm..."

"Penny"

"Yes, thank you Penny...maybe we can continue to walk... wherever it is we are walking to?"

As they began to gain distance from where they once were. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, either approaching towards them, or echoing from the other direction, Penny appearing to be in a vigilant state.

"Hey Penny, is everything alright, what's with the sirens we can hear?"

"Probably emergency teams going to investigate the area of incident." pausing for a moment before finally speaking her mind, "I think it would be wise of us to try and get as far away from the site as possible. Also we need you to blend in with the crowd."

Glancing up and down at him as she spoke.

In all the excitement of everything that had happen to him, only now did he actually focus on what he was wearing, realising what she meant.

Most of what made up his attire was scorched and blackened, what he could make out of it could only be described as pyjama wear, a white short sleeved shirt with blue and grey flannelette pants.

"That store over there looks like we can fix that," Penny said, directing his attention to a green and black painted clothing shop.

Walking in, they were greeted by a woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties, giving them a full hearted greeting.

"Hi, welcome to Off Topic, did you need any assistance with anything in particular?"

"Yes , my friend here needs a new change of clothes, as you can see, there was. a ... little mishap,"

"Sure not a problem, what style where you thinking of sir?"

The woman appeared to keep a straight face, but he could sense that she was a little suspicious as to why he appeared in the state he was in.

 _But could you not really forgive her for being weirded out by it_.

Thinking for a moment, choosing the right words before speaking so as to not bring attention to himself.

"Semi formal, I want to look presentable, but not too casual either, and shoes to match."

Directing them to the opposite end of the shop, she then asked if they needed anything else and that she would be more than happy to help. Penny stated that they should be fine and would do so if need be.

"If you don't mind me asking? What exactly was this mishap that you had?"

Penny remained quiet. Not to alert any suspicion. He instantly replied, almost gasping mid sentence, thinking of the first thing that came to mind.

"Had an incident, with a weed sprayer... turned out to be a flamethrower."

 _Nice one, she'll definitely find that to be a run of the mill scenario...why did I even think of that?_

"Um, all-right. Well like I said, if you need any help you know where I'll be."

 _Wait, it worked?_

 _"_ Yes... will do, t-thank you. "

With that she returned to the front desk. Leaving the two almost lost for words, before fixing their sights on the racks that were in front of them.

"That shirt is too large for you, try the next size down." Penny remarked, grabbing several hangers worth of clothes and taking him by the hand to a nearby fitting room.

"I judge your height to be 5'2 and since you appear to have a slim build, you'll either have to get shorts or roll up the trousers as well as putting a few extra holes in your belt. Also judging your foot size, a size 9 will definitely work."

Just as Penny had predicted, everything was a perfect fit, no second attempts needed. Once he was sure on the style he was going with, they returned the front. Penny happily paying the cost of the clothes. As she did, he had another look at himself at a nearby mirror.

He still wore his old clothes underneath, much to Penny's reluctance, and over them he had a white long sleeve shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His trousers were jet black denim with the back nearly sweeping the ground. His shoes looked like formal shoes that had nearly pointed tips, Penny assured him they would be suited for running or ' _combat'_.

Leaving the shop they continued to walk along the street, as they did, Penny thought to herself.

 _Now he has a new set of clothes, hopefully that makes him inconspicuous, another face in the crowd, no one would ask questions._

 _Perhaps I made it in time. It looked like the street was empty when I arrived, hopefully due to it being quiet rather than out of shear panic from the locals._

 _Perhaps if there were no witnesses the police would write it off as a miss timed explosive, intended to go off during the busier part of the afternoon._

All she hoped was that no one found him or realise he was the cause of the _explosion._ She took another look at him, having a feeling that whatever did happen,he had no intention of doing the damage he could.

 _He doesn't look like someone who would want to harm others_ , _he was also suffering from amnesia, he was lost to this world._

 _Not to mention that only a few weeks ago when the Grimm invasion from undergroun-._

Penny's thoughts were caught off guard when she heard the sound of her companion's stomach growl. Seeing how it had been nearly two hours since she first found him, and the fact that he expelled what he had previously consumed, she wasn't surprised.

 _No wonder it was so audible._

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small cafe, grabbing his hand she yanked him towards it. Penny went in while he remained at one of the many outdoor tables, a few minutes later she returned with a selection of various baked goods.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I asked the owner and he gave me a few choices so I hope at least you'll like one of these." she spoke as she lay the desserts on the table while seating herself opposite him.

"Penny, you shouldn't have done this, you've already bought me this entire look and now this, I can't pay you right now. But I will try to repay you, eventually, I promise."

"It's alright, the most important thing right now is not to let these pastries go to waste, and you need to replenish your energy."

With that he began to wolf down a chocolate muffin ( as politely as he could). She was right however, he did feel pretty drained from everything he had done thus far.

As he was about to pick up an apple and cinnamon muffin he notice that Penny just sat there watching , smiling back at him. Sensing his confusion she spoke up before he could open his mouth.

"I don't really eat sweets at all, and if you feel guilty about eating alone. Don't be, its perfectly fine, I don't eat anything really."

Staring at her for a minute or two, he gave a slight nod and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the sweet treats. A new thought popped into his head, since it had been slightly quiet, he proceeded to ask, to kill the silence that had befallen the two.

'Hey Penny, can I ask you something?"

"Sure I'm all ears."

"How did you know my height and foot size, as well as the clothes fitting me perfectly, without second guessing?"

Her eyes widened slightly, he could see that she was caught off guard by the question and was mentally scrambling for a response.

"Well... I have a friend, well one of my only friends really. She is the exact same height as you and so I guessed what would be the equivalent sizing for men's attire, you would roughly have the same dimensions as her, plus or minus a few places. As for your shoes, well my friend's worn shoes similar to what you have on so I figure that it differed by one or two sizes."

"Well all I can say is you are quite perceptive Penny, a mind like a computer if you have that much attention to detail."

"..."

"But do you really only have the one friend? You're so kind, generous and thoughtful, anyone would be lucky to call you a friend."

"Oh, her teammates are friendly enough to me, but I'm not sure if you would call us all friends. And well, the other thing is, my father is really strict with who I can and can't see.

He even told me that I couldn't really spend much time with my only friend, I'm lucky enough today to visit the city and explore it with freedom. Which I guess you could call it a miracle I found you as I haven't had this type of alone time in a long while."

She looked away from him as she said this, head down, he couldn't tell if she was crying or trying to. He then looked away, thought what he would say next and turned back to her.

"Well you know what Penny, here I am, someone who has a case of amnesia, lost confused and alone, alone until you found me, kept me company, gave me new clothes, paid for this food I've eaten.

You've shown me so much kindness, I doubt that such kindness would happen to me if you weren't at the right place at the right time. And you know what Penny, I owe you and here is where I can start . You can consider me another friend, I can't force you to be my friend, but, I would be honoured to be called your friend."

She looked up eyes gleaming and a large smile adorned her face, she quickly got up and ran to his side enveloping him in a hug.

 _She's got a grip like a vice._

While still being held in her embrace, he heard a small audible gasp from her as she then promptly pushed him away from her.

" Um, we... we should go... now, it isn't wise for us to stay here!"

"Penny what are you talking ab-"

 _ **Click**_

"HANDS IN THE AIR AND STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL!"

Six lightly armoured guards bearing assault rifles appeared out from the nearby street, guns all trained towards the two of them. As they got close one of them grabbed Penny and pulled her to his side, shielding her, like she needed protection.

 _Protection from me?_ "Wait, what, stop, don't hurt her, Penny what's going o-"

With that his body began to glow a bright purple, it felt like he was encased in amber, only having the freedom to turn his head side to side.

"All of you stand down. Honestly, I find it hard any of you actually accomplishing something when all you do is charge into a given situation directly head on."

"With all due respect ma'am, we did have the situation under control."

"Yes, I'm sure that you did. And let's suppose if he did run, you and your men would have no problem in gunning him down, whilst there could be civilians in the nearby area."

Still frozen in place he turned as far as he neck allowed him to, trying to get a glimpse at who the feminine voice belonged to. It was only until she was in his line of sight did he see who it was.

She was a tall slender woman with blonde hair and bright green eyes which sat behind a pair of spectacles , she had a long sweeping purple cloak which was attached to a white pleated top and a black high-waisted skirt. Her weapon of choice _if that's what you could call it_ was a riding crop, which she began to lower it after her little quarrel with the soldier.

"Now what exactly do you think you are doing Miss Polendina, going directly to the source of danger, putting yourself at risk and possibly nearly getting hurt, could you imagine what would have happened if we didn't find you. Think of how your father would feel if anything did happen to you, his only daughter, gone, all because you were just too curious and disobedient in following orders from your superiors"

"But Miss Goodwitch, I wasn't in any real danger, my friend here doesn't appear to be the type of person to be fearful of.

If anything, on closer inspection, I'd say he is the one that is fearful of us, especially with the presence of armed guards, plus he can't re-"

"That's quite enough from you young lady. You'll have plenty of time to explain yourself to general Ironwood, once we are back at Beacon.

I'd imagine he won't be so lenient as he was the first time when you drew attention to yourself in the city streets. You really shouldn't be spending so much time with Miss Rose, I feel she is the reason for your new fondness for seeking danger..."

Griping her ridging crop tightly, now glaring to her right, making eye contact with him, nearly startling him, he would have stepped back and fallen over, albeit he was fixed in place.

"And as for you. Do you have any idea the damage you have done? The panic that ensued from the nearby streets around the blast . Not to mention the entire block now without power. Now, once I lower this barrier I expect you to come with us without any restraint, resistance or retaliation. I take it that myself and these six armed guards are enough to convince you of the gravity of the situation. Do I make my myself clear young man?"

"Crystal." he said with teeth partially gritted, not in anger or resentment, but more of general confusion , the whole scenario playing out before him.

* * *

Going to be leaving this one there, next chapter to come in a week (or less). My story is going along, I hope you like it. Will mention that the chapter lengths will differ depending on where i choose to stop it. But all the same liking it thus far, and there will be definitely several occasions I may clarify something in a chapter if need be,/ have an Easter egg or something like that in here.

Like for example: Glynda knew about Ruby being with Penny, explanation: Ironwood talked to her about one of the two guards that found Penny giving him a description that fitted Ruby to a T.

Anyway that's it for now, until the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

The small escort marched through the city, Penny and Goodwitch at the front, two guards following behind, two at the rear and the remaining two directly either side of him. As they entered a more crowded part of the city, Penny would occasionally glance back at him, giving a reassuring smile.

He welcomed the gesture, given the fact that her smile was the only one directed at him, the sea of unfamiliar faces around just stared at him, making the journey feel unsettling as they walked.

 _Where ever we're going. It must be on the other side of the city, feels like we've been walking for at least half an hour, or even longer._ He thought to himself. As he did, one of the guards seemed to be considering the same line of reasoning, speaking his mind as they walked.

"This is taking far too long, this 'objective' here needs to pick up pace. We're not here to give him a private tour of Vale. I don't get paid by the hour for this, and I get the feelin' as if he's stalling us somehow..."

"Private... shut your pie hole would ya! We don't get paid to hear your whining neither, so hush up and fall in line. But I do admit ma'am, our _guest_ hereseems to have slowed his pace a little, even with the fact we're in this district of Vale."

"Um, Miss Goodwitch. Can I make an observation? As well as propose a solution?"

"I'm listening miss Polendina."

"In the time I've spent with our friend here. It seems that he has never been in Vale, nothing here registers' as 'familiar' to him, from the way he constantly glances around at the local surroundings. From his mannerism, he seems to be cautious, if not apprehensive to the whole ordeal, trying his best to find something here he recognises.

Also, in the time that we've been walking, I've been ensuring that he felt safe as we moved along this path, maintaining periodic glances at him.

As I did so, it appears that he seems to become more relaxed, picking up pace.

I suggest that I directly accompany him during the rest of the journey. I postulate we will get to the airship quicker this way, seeing as how we still have another half an hour or so of walking. Especially since Vale is welcoming more and more newcomers from the surrounding kingdoms at this time of day..."

Sighing, Goodwitch agreed to the proposition. Just as Penny had suggested, the escort did appear to be moving a lot faster, arriving to what looked like a dry dock, the ships however seemed to be suited for the skies rather than the seas.

Once in the air, the ride itself was very relaxed, the guards remained active, taking it in turns to monitor their escort.

Penny, had the freedom to move about the ship, but she wasn't too far from him. Goodwitch was on the opposing side of where he sat, typing on a device that employed holographic projections and not material feedback, appearing to be no bigger than a piece of A4 paper.

Occasionally, she would look up from what she was doing and glance at his general direction, often registering a chill down his spine, causing him to quickly avert his stare as she did. Roughly halfway through the journey, he glanced through his window and saw what he could only describe as a partially built inverted mountain, seemingly remaining stationary in the air.

"Hey Penny, what exactly am I looking at?"

She slowly walked towards where he was seated, gesturing to one of the guards that it was okay for her to sit next to him, despite his suggestion to remain where she was and not come any closer. Once seated, she leaned over, getting a better view at what he was so intrigued about.

"That impressive structure, is the Vytal stadium."

"What's so vital about it?"

A large smile spread across her face, letting out a small chuckle.

"The stadium is vital as each of the four kingdoms' finest hunters and huntresses in training compete in battle against one another, showing off their abilities and skills in the art of combat in its arena to thousands of spectators.

The Vytal tournament and festival serve as a testimony to those who have lost their lives in the wars fought centuries ago, demonstrating to its people how we have come a long way from conflict waged between the kingdoms, to now living in peace.

It's also a time for bonds to be strengthened between the kingdoms, either by its citizens exploring a new kingdom and meeting new people, or by businesses working on branching out to off shore locations. The 'Vytal' festival signifies one of the most important days of the year for all of Remnant, just a week or two before the start of a new year."

Just as he was about to respond, the sound of the engines died down, Goodwitch and the guards getting up from where they sat, awaiting for the pair to follow, signifying that they had reached their destination.

Disembarking from the ship, he was greeted by the sight of a large courtyard that led to what resembled a castle , the tallest of its' spires almost touching the clouds, as it grew nearer so too did its beauty.

He wasn't sure of himself, but he had a feeling of Déjà vu, perhaps it was how eerily quiet it was. Apart from the small group present, there wasn't a sign of a single person near or around the tower. As they entered the large spire, four of the guards remained in the foyer, the remaining company rode an elevator to the top floor.

Stepping out, the room appeared to resemble the inner-workings of a clock, gears and cogs in periodic motion, the mechanical melody filling the quiet room.

The party were greeted by two men, the first appeared to be of medium build and had a white streak in his jet black hair. He was dressed in a white uniform that gave him an air of notoriety, and had an impassive look on him when he saw them.

The other was tall and slender, wearing a black suit with a green scarf around his neck, he had grey hair and wore glasses. He gave an expression that suggested he was a little more receptive than the former, with both hands resting on a walking cane.

He smiled at them, before speaking he looked over to his colleague, suggesting that the two remaining guards were dismissed from their current duty. Once the elevator doors shut, he finally spoke.

"Hello, my name is professor Ozpin, I am the headmaster of this academy, I would like to apologize for the ordeal you may have gone through during the last few hours."

'Um, thank you for the apology, just a little shaken up about where I am currently, it's quite a sight, being here that is."

"Indeed. I'd like to introduce you to general Ironwood, the general thought it necessary for you to have such a large escort once you were recovered."

"It was only a necessary precaution Ozpin, who knows what else he might have done in Vale had we not intercepted him with the task force that did."

"Clearly though the situation was handled quite poorly if you really want to know James. If anything, having them there only brought more attention to ourselves by locals passing us by, we would already be finished with this conversation had I gone alone." Goodwitch interjected.

"And I'm sure you've become quite familiar with Professor Goodwitch, she is second in charge of this school, sometimes running it better than I do."

Glancing at all three, he took note of each of them and their behaviour as they addressed each other.

Right now he felt that he would rather not talk to Professor Goodwitch for the moment.

Ironwood being a general sounded a little better, then he remembered that he was going to address Penny about what she did today and so he would rather not say anything directly to him or else Penny would be punished even more.

But this headmaster, he was the one who seemed to make him feel welcome, despite it only being a few minutes, if he was going to have a hard time, the headmaster would probably be the most understanding.

"So now that you have been informed as to who we are. Could you tell us who you are and why you had your sudden outburst in the city streets?"

The general said, not waiting for anyone else to really speak up.

"Uh, well, I-I, I don't remember, anything. I can't remember what happened before I awoke, where I was at the time, where I was when I awoke, I don't even know my own name."

"I see." Ozpin said, as he slowly walked behind his desk to sit, grabbing a picture of water, pouring a glass and offering it to him.

Sitting back in his chair he gestured for his guest and Penny to be seated, as they did, the headmaster's desk began to light up.

"And how do you feel at present? Dizziness, nausea, fever or muscular aches?"

"Well if you asked me several hours ago, then yes, I was feeling all those things. Now however, I feel perfectly fine, a little tired but you can imagine why after nearly being made a temporary statue when I was found by your search team."

He said, glancing at Goodwitch and Ironwood, the former almost boring into his soul with her stare, causing him to regret finding a sense of confidence.

"So you say you're perfectly fine, no injuries what so ever?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Aside from feeling that I am under trial or something, and the fact I have no idea where I am entirely, I am do aye okay."

He said starting to feel like they wouldn't be happy with what he said, no matter how honest his answers were.

"Alright, although you may claim to be fine. I'll keep that in mind, however the fact you have amnesia has me worried, the events transpired today are a worry."

"You realise that your actions today mean that you may face the court, charged with disturbing the peace and terrorism." the general said, almost yelling in frustration.

"James please, calm down. We'll get better answers if we talk, rather than to bellow at him, I'm starting to think that perhaps he may not be to blamed directly for his actions."

" How can you say that? He was directly at the epicentre of it after all."

"From what I can see here, I believe that the courts may not be able to charge him for the crimes you are suggesting."

"What exactly are you implying Ozpin?"

"What I am saying is for you to have a look at this before you say anything else."

The general walked over to the headmasters' side and viewed the images in front of him, eyes widening as the footage played. Ozpin continued to address everyone in the room as the general remained silent for the moment.

"This report Glynda has given suggests that the distress call was made minutes after the explosion. When she arrived at the scene there was no one present at the epicentre, someone reported to her seeing this young man and miss Polendina leaving the area.

However the witness did not claim to be definite that he was responsible, they merely made the presumption that he was the cause of the incident."

As he said this, Ironwood finally walked back to where he stood previously, maintaining his composure . The footage showed the street moments before the incident occurred, it was very much empty, then a minute later a bright blaze of white filled the screen before cutting to static.

" I apologize for the sudden outburst, I have no reason to turn you over to the authorities for acts of terrorism, given the evidence put before me." the general said in an ashamed tone.

"However, the next question arises. If he is indirectly responsible, how did he get there? Could his amnesia be the result of the incident itself? You're sure you don't remember what happened to you before you were found by miss Polendina?"

"No, nothing whatsoever."

"Also, I notice that your aura levels appear to barely register."

"My aurora what now?"

"Aura. It's the physical manifestation of one's soul, rendering a person safe to attacks that would appear fatal...or at least that's the basics. More likely its link to the genetic makeup of a person, along with their semblance"

"Assemble what exactly?"

"Young man, I know you may have amnesia, but surely you are aware of the most basic trait that all life in Remnant have. Did you even pay attention in class when you were told about them?"

"Glynda please, I'm sure our friend here feels the same as how you are right now, so please just try to be a little more patient.

Which brings me to something else. Since you will be staying at the academy while you try to regain your memories, I doubt most of the staff or myself would keep referring to you as a nameless individual, so we have to find you a suitable name . Tell me what you are thinking of right now, and we'll see if we can get close to your real name."

"M-m-my m-m-mind right now is going a million miles a second. T-t-trying to find any sort of memory that says who I am, where did I come from, how did I get here, where am I going and I-."

"Zen..."

"I'm, s-sorry?"

"Zen, do you know what that is...?"

"I-I-t, it's the state of mental awareness, as well as a feeling of peace and relaxation, where ones' mind feels enlightened by meditation?"

"Close enough. More importantly, it's what you need right now, I can see that today has been quite a test of your mental stability and right now, prodding you with questions is going escalate the situation more than determine what happens next.

You will be sleeping in the same dorm room as miss Polendina, I understand that there are two beds, since the rest of her teammates have either chosen to stay in other dorms or are still yet to arrive at Beacon. Get some rest and we can proceed with this in the morning."

As they entered the dorm room, Zen laid down on the bed, letting all the weight he carried on his shoulders just melt away.

S _o many questions, where do I fit in any of this?_

He glanced over at Penny who was holding what resembled a large power cable, as soon as she realised that she was being watched she placed it down on her bed, turning to address him.

"I'm going to take a shower now,

 _ **hiccup**_

And if you are still awake could you be polite as to turn your head the other way."

 _ **Hiccup**_ **.**

He nodded, and as the door closed behind her, the sound of the shower plus the softness of the pillow meant that Zen was dead to the world.

 _"... That's one small step for a man...the universe is in us, we are made of star stuff..._ _mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam on a pale blue dot... you ever wonder why we're here?"_

* * *

 ** _And so it looks Beacon is going to be Zen's new home for a while, wonder what he's going to be doing there?_**

 ** _Another chapter done hope its alright. This one might not have that much in terms of 'stuff' going on but I am just trying to criticize my own work in that regard, if you guys are happy with it, then that's all that matters._**

 ** _Also I will note that there will be several chapters before we see team RWBY, but stick with it and it will be great when the OC interacts with them._**

 ** _Loving how Vol 6 is going great so far, but will admit that when I saw ep 2, looking at how I've written Ozpin (from a vol 1-3) makes me challenge how I see this version of him (I still like Ozpin, but the show really wants me not to). Also horay, I actually care about Oscar (at least when I see how he did in ep 2). Won't bring up anymore Vol 6 talk, even though I am cheap and watch it when its a week behind._**

 ** _Anyway that is all I have to say, have a great day and enjoy reading RWBY fanfics (The more fluff the better).  
_**


	4. Chapter 3

**_So before we continue I wanted to clear up any confusion if any one is reading this and is wondering about the main character._**

 ** _First off, at the time of publishing my intro and the first chapter, I was unaware of the option of OC as a character description (so I apologize if people came in and wondered who this character is and why Ruby gets double billing)._**

 ** _Second, the OC is named Zen and has no link to Lie Ren (just was a coincidence that the names are so similar)- just to clarify. (It will be interesting if and when I get the two to interact)._**

 ** _Finally the feedback I have been getting has been quite helpful, so if there is some line in that doesn't make sense in story, let me know, I may edit them later down the track (spelling and grammar wise) or do what I am now and clarifying it... or fixing it if it's too confusing (for myself ) to explain._**

 ** _Without further ado, I give you Chapter 3: Training Begins._**

* * *

 _Time: Morning_

 _Day: Unknown_

 _Location: Beacon Academy_

The morning sun poured into the dorm room, bathing it in its warm embrace. Zen eased himself out of bed, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes as he surveyed the room, immediately looking over at Penny's well made bed.

 _Huh, I wonder where she's gone? Perhaps she had to report to general Ironwood._ He thought as he made his way to the bathroom.

 _Come to think of it. What does she do at the academy? If she needed to report to the general, could she be training to join the military?_

 _That might explain why she seems so perceptive of the tiniest of details._

 _Or could she possibly be someone of great importance? So much so that a general and his guards are required for her protection. What if her father is a king or wealthy man, and that his strict rules apply to her because she is the heiress to the kingdom or business?_

As he finished freshening himself up while theorising who Penny was, the girl in question entered the dorm room, beaming at him as she closed the door behind her.

"The cafeteria is still serving breakfast. After which, we are requested by Professor Ozpin to report to him in his office, we're not in a rush, however from the sounds of it, he doesn't want to be kept waiting too long."

Once they were in the dining hall, Zen helped himself to hot chocolate, toast and a bowl of oat cereal, sitting opposite Penny at one of the dining tables. Except for the few kitchen staff and one or two students, the hall was virtually empty.

"I believe that it is usually accepted that cereal is to be consumed with lactose produced by a bovine."

"I think you mean milk Penny, and although I may have a case of amnesia, I'm pretty sure that having milk in cereal is not a pleasant experience. Besides, I like it this way, also how come you didn't get anything, are you not at all hungry or was there nothing you-"

"I-uh- already had something, yes, just before you were up, I've been awake for quite a while now and have had sufficient sustenance to last me for the rest of the day..."

 _ **Hiccup**_

"Zen, miss Polendina, please come in. I take it that you are both well rested?" the headmaster said, gesturing for them to enter as he sat at his desk, which projected several lines of text as the two got closer.

"Yes sir." Zen replied as he took a seat, relieved by the lack of Glynda and Ironwood's presence as he addressed Ozpin.

"So have any of your memories re-emerged since our meeting yesterday? Perhaps the events leading up to your encounter with miss Polendina?"

"Not really sir, I have some vague recollection that I might have been asleep, then a bright light filled my vision, then darkness, then waking up looking up at Penny... but I can't be certain. Even this however is just me trying to put the situation into context, given what I was wearing at the time when I was found. I did however have some very unusual, very vivid dreams last night."

"Oh, if you wouldn't mind discussing them with me. Dreams are often a way for the brain to process new information received during the day while your body rests. So it could be possible that the dreams could link with your former self. All the information is there, it's just locked behind your current state of mind."

Zen fidgeted a little before he took a deep breath, recalling his thoughts the previous night.

"So one of my dreams had someone wearing a suit of some sort, he appeared to float as he stepped along a grey sandy desert, the sky above was black, or as I could tell, everything was black and white, like film footage.

There was another dream with a man standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, he mentioned something about _a pale blue dot on a sunbeam_. The final dream had these two soldiers dressed in advanced combat armour, one orange the other maroon, the orange one was wondering about the meaning of existence...or something along those lines. And that's it."

Ozpin gave a low-key expression, picking up his mug of coffee promptly speaking before taking a large sip.

"I see. Was there anything else you would like to discuss before we continue?"

"There is just one more thing Sir. I've noticed that nearly everyone you address, you do so by their last name, this morning I thought about it and was thinking. Perhaps the last name _Discovery_ would be an alright title for myself?"

Ozpin remained quiet for a minute or two, smirking as he responded.

"It is you who should wonder if the title is fitting, if you like the name then I will refer to you as such."

Zen turned to look at Penny, who was standing a few meters away, slowly raising her right hand giving a thumbs up, his head then returned to face Ozpin, he gave a slight nod to the headmaster.

"So Mr Discovery, in the short time you have spent at Beacon, do you know what this academy does?"

The thought had never occurred to him, he had so many other thoughts about _Vale and Remnant_ as well as Penny, never once did he ask her about the academy itself, or for that matter why were there a number of ships around the Vytal stadium as he glanced out of the window behind the headmaster.

"No sir, I have not, but since it seems like I should know. What does Beacon academy specialize in?"

"Combat training. The students who attend Beacon are of the top of their classes and are from around the four kingdoms, they train so that one day they will become hunters and huntresses. Skilled warriors whose job is to protect civilians from the creatures of Grimm."

Zen's eyes widened for a moment, turning around to look at Penny, then back to Ozpin almost speechless. After a minute or two of silence, he finally spoke.

"You mean ... Penny... is a huntress?"

"In training at the moment, she is actually a student of Atlas academy, here for the Vytal tournament, other student hunters and huntresses will arrive to Beacon a few weeks from now for the same reason.

The main reason I called you here was to discuss how you will spend your time at Beacon, while you recover from your amnesia. I have had all of last night and the early hours of the morning to think about this , even right now I am unsure if it is wise to do so, but will forgo this thought.

You will be trained in combat by miss Polendina. Not only is this useful for when you encounter Grimm, which I assure you, you will.

Currently, the academy is short on teaching staff, given that there is still a week or so before classes resume.

The training rooms will be free to use without interruptions as well as the sparring ring.

Once the teaching period commences, if you still have not regained your memories, you will attend lessons alongside my students."

"Wait, so you just said you want to train me to become a hunter... like Penny?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I've have been assured by general Ironwood that miss Polendina is quite capable of teaching you, she excels as a fighter. I would go so far as to say she is _combat ready._ That is how you would put it, wouldn't you miss Polendina?"

Penny stepped forward and saluted the professor,

"Yes sir, ready for anything and everything."

"Alright, that was all I had to say to you two, I'll let you begin the training," he said, the two made their way to the elevator. Before the doors could shut, he called for Penny to stay back for a moment. "Miss Polendina, perhaps start off with minimal combat to begin with, and take care when you actually combat Mr Discovery... I feel he may not be as ' _resilient'_ as most of my students or the people of Remnant."

As the two left, Ozpin took another sip from his mug, typing out new information into the device built into his desk. Looking at the display in front of him, two bios read as followed;

 _Polendina, Penny:_

 _Aura: 100%_

 _Discovery, Zen:_

 _Aura: Negligible_

As the two entered the training room, Zen saw a set of armaments at the other end of where they stood, walking over to one of the racks. Picking up a battle axe, he felt the weight of it as it rested in his hands, frowning a little before looking over to Penny who stood on the opposing side of the room.

"Is it really safe to keep these here? Without lock and key, where anyone can take them."

"Well, most of the students here already have their own custom weapons, these merely serve as last minute training pieces, plus they don't even have a secondary function... just the weapon you see before you and that's it."

He glanced back at the weapon, then back to Penny.

"You mean there are weapons that have _secondary_ functions... like what exactly?"

"Well, some can transform into another melee weapon, but most of them can alternate in to a gun, automatic, semi automatic...rail gun-."

"Wait, rail gun! You mean there's a chance I could be sparring with someone and then all of a sudden they can just make this a long range fight?!"

"Indeed."

"Um, okay then... I am now more confused than I was when you found me."

Saying this as he proceeded to put down the axe, immediately walking over to another wall loaded with firearms. Grabbing a pistol, he heard Penny speak with a disappointed tone.

"I'm afraid there are no munitions to load those guns with, as they're all projectile weapons and the school doesn't stock ammo for training purposes, only for an emergency attack, if it were ever to take place. All students are expected to buy and stock their own munitions, either for training or real world combat."

Looking annoyed, he placed the gun back in its resting place and returned to the melee weapons.

Scanning up and down the rack, eyes finally resting on a pair of swords, he proceeded to take them off the rack and allowed them to rest in his palms.

 _Well balanced, perfect for defensive_ _manoeuvres_ _not too long, so sheathing and unsheathing is not an issue, not too short, so my opponent isn't in close proximity to me and ideal for multiple hostiles..._

 _Wait how did I know that?_

"I think I found my weapons of choice, we can begin in a minute or two,"

 _As I mentally try to prepare myself with the fact that I'm going to be fighting my friend. Who is a well trained huntress and could possibly shoot me halfway through the fight. Then there's the off chance I might get a lucky swing in and possibly hurt her. Most likely though, she'll mop the floor with me._

He thought as he began to pace towards the sparring floor.

"I think it would be wise to start off with the basics as most students have spent several years in combat school in order to be at the level to be accepted into Beacon."

Penny replied as she saw her new personal student lost in thought, his hands steadily grasping the swords and rotating his wrist in a comfortable and natural motion, getting a feel for the weapons. She thought what he would be capable of doing with the basic training gear as she waited for him to stand in front of her.

For the next several hours, using a combination of practice dummies, and a set of training swords similar to her own, Penny guided Zen in his stance with his own training weapons, how to guard single and successive attacks as well as basic dodges.

 _"_ Alright, I think that was enough training, but before we call it a night, I want to gauge how you will do, to see if we can progress to the next set of training or have to go over what you need to work on tomorrow."

"Okay we can do that... just take it slow."

With that Penny nodded and proceeded to return the training weapons on the rack. Then taking her place on the other side of the room, Zen raising his eyebrow when she returned to where she stood.

"Not using any weapons? Do you prefer to go fits blazing?"

"Oh, no I am combat ready. I have them stored in this pack on my back, so if the situation calls for them, I don't have to rely on a locker to be deployed to my general area."

"Deployed? How does one deploy a lock-"

 _ **Clink**_

Just before he could finish, a pair of black and green swords appeared from behind her back and unfolded, hovering above her as she took a fighting stance, ready for his signal to begin sparring. She didn't expect his bewildered expression from the sight of her weapons, she was sure he was aware of the various custom weapons that students carried, or could this be the case of _too much information in a short time._ Was he so focused on his training that he simply forgot about what she said previously?

"Would you prefer if I fought you hand to hand, like we were doing with the training?"

Zen's mouth partially agape, staring at the weapons dancing on the air, he quickly mouthed the words before blinking and looking directly at Penny, an almost giving a long pause whilst talking.

"It would be kinda nice not to worry about the whole, levitating swords trick. Is that your resemblance Ozpin was talking about?"

"You mean semblance? And no its not, I'm not quite sure yet as to what my semblance is.

My father believes that it could be the ability to copy other semblances, but for now I don't have one.

My swords are tethered to my pack, but I can use them as you would use yours. I notice that you might not be ready for that so I shall adopt this approach."

As if they were trained dogs, the pair of swords hovered above Penny's shoulder, turning their handles inward. Raising her hand to meet them, she gave a shrug like expression as her grip tightened around the swords bringing them to her side and allowing the wire that held them to detach and return behind her back.

She brought her left foot forward and her right slid away from its initial spot to balance her into an almost running stance, her arms following suit. Zen mirrored this motion as best he could.

 _Here goes nothing._

 _"Ready?"_ He said.

"I'm combat ready" Penny responded, and with that she ran towards him bringing her right arm above her head ready to swing down. And just as practiced, Zen lifted his left arm up, ready for the incoming swing.

As the two swords met, a visible wince appeared on Zen's face, but was quickly shaken off as Penny's left arm brought the sword to his right side, he guarded it accordingly as the two made eye contact.

"Good, but perhaps allow the blade to take the weight of the attack rather than your forearm, there are some students I know who can deal this type of attack with little effort."

She then pushed off him, ready for a two pronged attack raising both arms above her head bringing both swords downwards.

She predicted that he would block both of them to distribute the weight, but this would leave him vulnerable to a jab or another side attack.

She was correct, with a quick flick of her wrist, she went for a jab, but he side stepped a little and as she went for his side, he swung upwards to deflect it.

This left her to regain her stance and meant she was vulnerable to being disarmed with a well place blow. Zen took the opportunity but missed and ended up aiming for her wrist. He was about to recoil and assess how seriously hurt she could be, he was taken aback by how his weapon simply bounced right off, her wrist emanating a green glow.

The fight carried on for another five minutes, with Zen planning a defensive tactic as he felt it was less risky.

Penny was amazed by how well he could hold his own, granted she was going easy and that she had experienced tougher opponents in preparation for the Vytal festival, but this was a nice change, he was definitely a quick learner..

 **"ARGH!"**

In the mist of her thoughts, Zen took the opportunity to strike, however Penny's reflexes kicked in without her knowledge and swung with a sweeping motion. Zen saw this and dodged it as best he could, although it seemed as if he missed most of the blades momentum. The tip of the blade managed to graze his forearm, enough to open a shallow cut, causing blood to ooze from the wound.

Penny snapped out of her thought as she heard her opponent's weapons drop as his knees met the floor, grasping his left arm wincing in pain. Seeing this her eyes widened in shock.

 _I knew he had no aura, I just had to lose focus for a few seconds..._

 _"Oh_ Zen I-I-I didn't mean for that to happen, for a second I just... lost focus, and as a habit...I defended myself thinking that your aura could take the hit, I'm soo sorry..."

"I-It's alright Penny, _argh,_ this was part of the training. I was bound to get hit, you did nothing wrong-"

"I did, Ozpin told me to take care, and I didn't, w-w-we, we need to get you to a nurse."

Penny then maintained her frantic behaviour as she got Zen to his feet and lead him towards the nearest medical facility on site.

Beacon had several of these medical bays throughout its campus, some more impressive than others, a few of the larger ones also doubled as laboratories for students to study when being taught by professor peach who was the resident professor of physical sciences.

Though Penny was aware that the professor excelled in giving medical aid as she acted as a medic huntress when she would go out on missions. She also knew how obsessively curious she was, and given that Zen had no given aura to begin with she worried that he may become part of an experiment or something. Maybe she was just over thinking it as she manage to find a much smaller medical bay that was operating and sat Zen down at a nearby seat.

"My friend here was injured during combat training, it isn't too serious but he needs his wound to be looked at and sterilized and the blood to be cleaned off."

"Alright come on through," The nurse beckoned the two of them in, bringing out the proper equipment to bandage the wound.

"Okay, the bleeding seems to have stopped and the good news you don't need stiches, given that your aura should help heal the wound. From the looks of the cut seems like you must have been on reserves or even fighting with your aura fully depleted. Must have been some fight..."

"H-He..." Penny stuttered nervously.

"...Has a very good teacher to show him the ropes, and clearly showed me that I need to work harder to maintain myself in combat. And yes, I'm sure that given time the wound should be fine, thank you nurse."

Zen said, cutting off Penny's almost haphazard beginnings of a lie, sensing that she still felt guilty that she let her innate combat skills to kick in.

 _Just gotta remember to avoid using my left arm for a while or else tear the wound open again._ He thought to himself.

Once they left the medical room they went straight to the cafeteria where there was still half an hour before the kitchen would fully close.

Zen figured not to question Penny as to why she didn't want the soup. It was pretty good, the creaminess of pumpkin yet had a taste similar to chicken soup. He figured she had lost her appetite after the ordeal in the training room so he left it at that.

He then thought to talk to Penny, not as before but really talk to her. In all the time they had spent together, he didn't really know much about Penny, except she was kind, and a skilled fighter, nothing really else.

Zen hadn't seen her look miserable, the sweet kind smile that was present when he opened his eyes when they first met was replaced by a worrisome frown, the green eyes that twinkled even in the darkest of days seemed dull in the well lit room...he needed to get her to relax and not think about it.

"So Penny, you aren't from Vale, are you? Where do you call home and what is it like, is the academy there like Beacon or is it more disciplined as you have to report to general Ironwood?"

Penny looked up, lost in thought. He could see that the dull appearance in her eye wasn't dull because of her mood, rather they were dull because she was crying, or trying to cry, but somehow she couldn't.

As she was about to open her mouth, Zen decided that he had enough of seeing his friend being eaten up by this...distracting her would only delay her sorrow, he need to reason with her.

"Penny before you say anything I just want you to know this, accidents will happen, even to the best of us, what matters is that I can walk away from it knowing that I need to be prepared if something like it were ever to happen.

Ozpin mentioned something about _the creatures of Grimm_ , now I haven't seen one, but from the sounds of it they pose a serious threat to all of us, you, me , the students... civilians who can't fight like you do and need your help.

If I were to fight one, would it be better to be injured in a simple combat match rather than out there, especially knowing that in that combat room, if I get hurt... everything stops, it won't be the same out there...I know this still bothers you but you need to relax, I merely have a few weeks to recover, we can still train, but you need to focus if it means not letting Ozpin down..."

Penny was quiet taking in what he just said to her. She knew that in feeling hurt from the fact that she hurt him in training. She was still hurting him now by feeling this way, she let her emotions get the better of her, and now was the time to fight back against her anxiety.

"Y-y-you were wondering about my life at home was it?"

"Indeed."

"Well I come from the kingdom of Atlas, its north of Vale, the architecture heavily differs to that of Vale, here there are cobblestone streets and buildings that have existed since before the great war.

Atlas appears to be constantly changing, most of the buildings are designed to be sleek and efficient, it's the most advanced city out of the four kingdoms.

Do remember what I said to you, how I only get so little freedom to wander Vale by myself?

I get even less freedom in Atlas since I have to be constantly training at the academy, calibrating my skills so I can defend the world if need be.

However after long and exhausting training sessions, I like to 'recharge my batteries' by going to the highest of the towers of the academy and look out over the horizon as the stars shine and the aurora dances across the sky.

Sometimes I get lost in the wonder of it all, they teach astronomy at the academy as it is the best place in all of Remnant to watch the night sky. I could never attend any lessons however, my father said I must concentrate on honing my skills.

That never stopped me from being a dreamer though.

I may have been confined to the combat and training rooms, in my mind I was free, free to tour the black starry skies , wondering if there were other worlds out there... maybe even ones where the Grimm don't exist... that must be a safer world than Remnant..."

Penny seemed lost in thought as she finished speaking, the fond smile Zen was accustom to adorned her face again. He gave a slight chuckle and said to Penny, taking the last spoonful of soup .

"If only a world like that did exist Penny... if only."

* * *

 _ **Well this was a lot longer than expected, probably will be my longest that I have written (still trying to work out how people can write short stories back in high school).**_

 _ **So there are a few things that inspired me in writing this, one of them being Carl Sagan's speech about earth as seen from the Cassini Probe that orbited Saturn, Stephen Hawking's " In my mind I am free" quote from the documentary "Into the Universe".**_

 _ **Next chapter might take longer to publish, although I said I had most of it written out, there as some gaps in chaptes, and this is one of them (I know what to do Just need to work out the length and consistency).**_

 _ **Anyway that's it for another chapter, will see you in the next.**_


	5. Chapter 4

**_And so a day or so later than usual I finally have this chapter done, at first I was going to keep it focused on Zen, but halfway through i decided to incorporate another part (you can probably guess where)._**

 ** _Anyhow here be chapter 4_**

* * *

 _The next morning_

Zen awoke from a deep sleep, instantly looking over to Penny's side of the room, finding her bed yet again appearing as if it hadn't been slept in.

 _I'm sure I saw her go to bed when I did last night, perhaps she's in the cafeteria. Maybe she wanted to get a head start on today's training... I hope after everything that happened yesterday she's okay to train with me?_

He thought to himself as he applied a fresh dressing to his arm, trying to replicate what the nurse did as best as he could.

 _She doesn't seem to be here, must be in the training rooms. Did I push her too far with what I said yesterday? Did I really help her overcome her worries? Or could she still be blaming herself, and she merely put on a facade, so that I wouldn't be feeling anguish for her wellbeing?_

Pondering these notions as he exited the dining room, making his way to the next possible place where he might find his friend.

The sound of blades moving along the air could be heard as he got nearer to the main training room. Peeking through the partially open door, he could see the red head with blades in hand, creating long slow sweeping arcs one moment, then quick rapid slashes the next.

He sighed for a moment before entering, making sure not to disturb her.

Penny could tell she wasn't alone anymore, but continued practicing her attacks for a minute or two before finally taking a chance to rest. She turned to face him, smiling as she did, Zen however thought that there was a look of dismay on her before making eye contact with him.

'Good morning Zen, are you ready to start today's training?" she said as she looked at him.

Sensing something about the way he stood and stared, she asked with a slight concern in her voice, "Are you alright? You look as if you had just gotten up."

"Well yes, I was worried about you after... so I immediately went looking for you, thinking you were in the dining room. Since you weren't there, this was the only other place that I know of where you might be. And so here you are. And... well since I am here, we might as well start."

"So you mean you have not had morning nourishment? Are you sure that is a wise decision? You know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, given that you have had a time period of 7 or 8 hours without eating anything. In addition to that, we will be training for 4 or 5 hours before you can actually have something."

"I'll be good, trust me." he said, making his way over to where his training weapons hung.

As he stood in front of Penny, he could see her hands ever so slightly shiver.

Imagining why as well as what she could possibly be thinking at that moment, Zen decided to ask.

"Are you sure you'll be alright to continue with the training, we can either take it really slow today. Or if you didn't want to train, we can always spend time touring Beacon, it's such a large place, yet I've only seen three or four parts of it.

Maybe if we ask the Professor, he might let us take a trip into Vale, still have this whole, 'have no idea who I am' thing going on." he jokingly said, Penny was quiet for a while before she sighed and conveyed what she was thinking.

"I'm alright, I'm just worried that something like yesterday could happen again. I don't want to repeat seeing you getting hurt because of my lack of awareness... even if it was for a second or two.

I did have to report the incident to general Ironwood this morning, no doubt my father has been notified about it and I worry what he might say when we break for lunch."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe afterwards. Right now we should carry on with the training, you seem to be quite the learner. I noted that you are very responsive with my directions, and you seem to be enjoying it, so that is always a positive notion." she noted as the trembling in her hands dissipated as she finished speaking..

"Well why not, you're a great instructor and you make it look like a dance rather than a conflict."

"Thank you Zen," she said before taking a deep breath, thinking for a moment before addressing him. "So how is your arm doing?"

"It's healing up quite well, in a week or so it should be fully healed, with little to no scarring."

"Well just to be on the safe side, I want you to fight single handed today. This might actually be beneficial to you."

"Beneficial? How exactly?"

"Well consider that what I di-, what happened yesterday were to occur if you were fighting a Grimm and it attacked you in the same manner. Or if you were sparring with someone and they manage to disarm one of your weapons from your grasp. Therefore you have to rely on one sword or arm, doing the work of two to attack them or defend yourself."

Once he realised that it was a real possibility, he paid close attention as they began. Penny, on several occasions, made sure he was alright to keep going throughout the lesson, still worried that he might faint from not eating anything for such a long time.

She would attack with one sword whilst he defended, then he would try to attack. Following this, she attacked using two swords, watching how he would guard himself. After three hours of practice, Penny halted their current progress, keeping her eye on the time.

"Okay, so I'm stopping here as I have to report to the general in an hour or so. However...we can still spar before hand, if you wanted to that is?"

"Was going to be sad if we didn't."

"I thought you wouldn't hesitate."

Once the fight began, Penny first kept her attention on attacking his right side, focusing on how would he deal with a blow as she brought both her swords down on him. She continued to attack in this fashion until he appeared complacent.

She now chose to attack his vulnerable side, charging at him with both swords poised for the hit. As her blades neared their target, Zen lifted his own sword, acting to shield his left arm.

Penny's weapons made contact and caused sparks to fly as they skidded along his sword, he moved his body along with his sword, so that Penny kept moving instead of stopping still like she would with her previous attacks.

As the weight of her blades finally subsided, Zen took the brief chance he had to strike. With the twist of his wrist, he brought the weapon to his chest before pushing it outwards, lunging at his opponent.

The tip of his blade made contact with Penny's back, her aura confirming he was successful with his attempt.

He didn't have time to enjoy the moment however, as Penny swivelled where she stood and with a single slash from her weapon, Zen's only means of defending himself was knocked clean out of his hand.

"Impressive with your quick thinking, taking the opportunity to attack me when you did. However, in most cases you have to anticipate where you'll be once you perform such a move, and as I have demonstrated, your place in a fight matters if you have limited options."

"C-could you repeat that last part again?" Zen said, still a little shaken at how quick the situation went from him having the upper hand, to almost having no hand at all.

"You just need to have a plan of action when you're sparring with someone. If you land a hit but think they can attack you straight after, defend yourself. If you think you can't... get as much distance between you and the other person as soon as your weapon has finished connecting with them.

Alright, I think after that we are truly done for the time being. Now let's go get you a late breakfast... or early lunch, depending on how you want to call it."

Once they entered the dining room, Penny said she'd return as soon as possible, dismissing her friends' concern to have something before going.

 _Come on Penny, relax. This meeting will be over before you know it, and when you're done you have the rest of the afternoon to just spend time talking with Zen... so stop worrying about what he'll say. You always enjoy receiving calls from your father...then why are you so hesitant for this one?_

Penny thought to herself as she made her way towards the meeting room where the conference call between her father, general Ironwood and herself would take place.

It wasn't too hard for her to find, usually the meeting was held in the same location, also the presence of two Atlesian guards standing on either side of the door signified that Ironwood wasn't too far away. Once entering , she could tell that the meeting had already commenced, despite arriving early. Being welcomed by the general, Penny took her place as she greeted the two of them.

"H-hello father" Penny stuttered as she stood in front of the projection of her father, Ironwood standing off to her right side.

"Penny, good to see you are fine, no need to be nervous my child. I take it the general is treating you well ?"

"Yes father, he is. I am enjoying my time in Vale, you should see it for yourself, the temperate climate here means that there are a wide variety of flora, it's quite amazing.

And the city itself, so peaceful, even when it is at its busiest." she said, her tone picking up a little as she went to great lengths to describe Vale.

"Well it's good to hear that you made the time for your off day an enjoyable one. But now to more important matters." he said, Penny's expression became reserved as she listened to what her father would say next.

"For the past day or so you have been mentoring a boy in basic combat... he also suffers from amnesia correct?"

"Yes father."

"Professor Ozpin was very persuasive in convincing me to allow you to sacrifice your own personal training in order to teach _him_ how to fight. Since you were the first person he saw , and you only did that because you went to investigate what has been described as an _incident_... Am I right in saying so?"

"Indeed, father"

He paused for a moment before his normal demeanour changed to indignation as something occurred in his head. His eyes became a deathly glare as he talked to Penny.

"Does he know?"

"Uh, no.. no, he doesn't seem to be aware of it. Maybe he might, but he's not being honest, in fear that I might cut ties with him or he's worried it might upset me. It could be possible that he has his own thoughts to worry about, so much so that he's not observing the little things I do..." Penny said , almost in exasperation, trying to stop her father from the two of them training together.

"Is he kind to you then? he said, the twinkle in his eyes now showing a more concerned expression.

"Yes, very kind indeed, an enjoyable friend to be around really. His name is Zen by the way."

"Well, if you think that's the case, I will not proceed further. His la-... Zen's lack of an aura does have me curious however. Perhaps when I travel to Vale he wouldn't mind being subject to... analysis." he said as he sat back in his chair, returning to a more calm and relaxed look on him.

"I'm sorry father, but what do you mean by 'when you travel'?"

"My dear girl, you do realise why I had set up this time for this call, don't you?"

Penny remained quiet, shuffling her feet as she stood, glancing away from her father as she knew what she was dreading to hear was about to be the main topic of discussion.

"Now, the general has informed me of your report with respect to the events that took place yesterday. From inspecting the coding that was sent to me, I can see the moment when it happened, so I will have to then come to Vale to correct the coding and reconfigure your sensors to prevent something like this occurring again .

However, for the time being, I want to hear from you directly, the moments that took place in that training room." he said in a stern tone.

After Penny explained what lead up to the fight as well as afterwards, trying her best to hold back any sort of distress she was feeling as she addressed her father.

He listened intently as she recounted the incident, when she finished he sat back in his chair, tapping his forehead with his index finger as his hand covered his face, sighing before speaking with a tired voice.

"Why is it every time you seem to make a friend, I get a call from the general saying something has happened with you and said friend?"

I'm beginning to think that your time spent with Zen is a wasted endeavour. He has nothing to contribute to your own training, he is merely learning from you, with the hours you spend guiding him, you lose in your own time in improving your skills.

Not to mention there is the ever present possibility that as he spends more and more time with you, he might put two and two together. Is it even worth the energy to teach him? Especially since he is unable to protect himself from something as simple as a minor flesh wound.

"Father! Zen is quite capable of fighting, and besides, he is only training with me until he regains his memories back. If he doesn't by next week, he will attend classes with fellow students. Once that happens, I can return to calibrating my skills as normal." she said in an almost defiant manner.

Her father was silent for the moment before speaking in a monotone voice.

"I will call again in a few days time with regards to updated protocols, I believe I have what I need and so I will allow you to return to your current duties. Take good care of yourself Penny, and try not to bring attention to yourself like this in the future."

"I-I will sir, goodbye father."

As Penny was dismissed and exited the room, Ironwood stood where Penny was moments ago, her father addressing him before finalising the meeting.

"And general... even though Penny is a success at synthetic aura generation... it's going to take you a long time and a lot of convincing before I build another someone like Penny"

Zen was left on his own for half an hour or so before she returned, looking quite pensive as she sat opposite him.

"Everything alright?"

"For the most part, everything seemed to be fine. But once I recalled what happened, my father wasn't too happy that I was able to lose focus as easily as I did, said that he needs to- I need to work on my ability to concentrate."

 _ **Hiccup**_

"I mean it was one simple mistake, more so an accident really. Surely you can afford one at least? You appear to be excellent at what you do, plus if it were anyone else, you'd not have this issue as their _aura_ would have kept them safe." he said as he got up to return the tray to where it belonged, he stayed for a moment as Penny responded to his comment.

"But that still doesn't negate the fact that it happened. To my father, an error in my judgment could spell life and death for people, not just an individual but perhaps the entire kingdom...or all of Remnant."

Seeing how concerned she looked after her talk, Zen felt that he needed to try and understand her situation, having a somewhat mutual expression when he returned.

"Why don't we have a walk around Beacon?"

She agreed to the idea, and so once they were out in the fresh air and the afternoon sun shining down on them, he proceeded to engage in conversation.

"So after what you told me about your home in atlas, I imagine that you really didn't have much to do in the way of fun when growing up?"

"Well, my child hood really isn't worth mentioning really"

 _ **Hiccup**_

"So is your father really forceful with his strict rules? I'd imagine so after what you just told me."

"No, not at all in the slightest. My father is the kindest person you'll ever meet, well if not compared to my best friend that is.

He's an inventor, the best in Atlas, working with general Ironwood and the Atlesian military, designing and building various military equipment and systems. His greatest achievement has been the recently announced Atlesian knights, they're android soldiers that make up the unmanned portion of Atlas' army.

And after recent events that have transpired in Vale , his creations have garnered him the attention of private investors, wanting their own personal body guards at a fraction of the cost of contracting a hunter or huntress.

However some of his machines have been subject to attack from mercenaries, targeting them during transport from the main production facility, to wherever they are needed. But my father has made these knights quite resistant to attack, not to say they are indestructible, however you need to land an attack in just the right spot to destroy it in an instant.

The constant praise he gets from the rich, the ever present Atlesian army needing him to develop the next 'edge' in warfare against the Grimm, or sometimes the White Fang.

Those are the reasons why my father always strives for improvement, trying to find the most effective and efficient solution to a problem, always moving forward, never looking back... I guess it's in his nature now, being engrossed in his work, so much so that even his own daughter is subject to such scrutiny, a simple single _error_ is as equal as failure."

Zen thought for a moment, pondering as he saw Penny's expression remain constant, she wasn't angry or upset, but rather she talked calmly. The last sentence she appear to have an expression of weariness, so much that it seemed she was weary of herself rather than her father's behaviour.

He finally spoke after a minute or two of silence.

"Well, after everything you said, it seems that he does care for you, and it could be that his 'scrutiny' is his way of showing that he wants you to have the best.

I mean, even with all his inventions, he see's you as his greatest achievement."

Penny went quiet as he said this. Afraid he may have done more harm than good, he backpedalled to the very early part of her conversation.

"You mentioned that your father was the kindest person I'd ever meet, but not so if I compare him to your best friend... so why don't you tell me about your friend then, sounds like someone I should meet immediately."

As soon as he finished asking her, Zen had never seen Penny appear to smile as she did at that moment.

"She's a great friend, her name is Ruby, she is fun, kind and very friendly to everyone she meets..."

For the rest of the afternoon Zen listened as Penny went on in great detail about her friend and the times they spent together, visiting Vale, exploring different weapons stores, playing with fireflies and anything else exciting or positive about her.

* * *

 ** _So was this an alright chapter? I'm alright with how it turned out, but I'm keen to write the next one, I have three or four concepts that I have to jam into one chapter as they would be too small if I separated them._**

 ** _I was also going to name Penny's father Dr Ottoppeg, but I decided to leave it out as it's too on the nose for a name...plus the could be a chance he is never spoken to again so there is no need for a name. Plus I left out describing any physical features as I think it's cool for the reader to imagine what he might look like...plus every time aI think of him I don't want to fall into the sterotypical scientist stunt. That or picture Penny's father as Dr Light from Megaman (or having similar features)._**

 ** _Anyway that was all I had to say, RWBY Chapter 5 releases tomorrow, keen for that._**

 ** _Now onto writing chapter 5._**

 ** _Have a good one you legends._**


	6. Chapter 5

It had been nearly a week since Zen began his informal training at Beacon, with each lesson came new combat techniques and by the end of them, he appeared quite competent in what he had learnt. The wound he received on his very first lesson had fully healed, which meant he could properly fight without any issues.

Penny also received some interesting news from her father two days after their discussion regarding the accident. It seemed that after thinking for quite some time, he decided to overlook the _'error'_ in her judgment. Which meant that his presence was not required in Vale, telling Penny that she _"Is capable of learning from the experience and therefore any chance of future incidences should not occur." ._ After hearing this, Zen noticed that Penny no longer appeared worried, anxious or hesitant before each lesson whilst she taught him.

The good news from Penny as well as Zen's training could not be easily translated with respect to his amnesia however.

Penny was optimistic that one of two things would happen. The first was that with each new day, his mental recovery would be a slow one, eventually he should have been able to recall everything before and leading up to their first meeting .

Or that it would be quite quick and she expected for him to have a sudden epiphany as his mind fully restored itself.

Penny had hoped that the person she came to know and call her friend would experience relief and joy from either scenario, his own memories would no longer be beyond his reach.

She would finally have the chance to learn about him from his own perspective and experiences.

 _Which kingdom did he call home? What did he do for fun? Did he want to become a huntsman?_

 _S_ he was eager to ask him so many questions.

But with each setting sun, Penny slowly began to dread the possibility of a third option...

 _Zen's amnesia might be permanent._

Any personality, original trait or knowledge he possessed, died on the day of the incident.

Even when they first met, she witnessed him trying to understand the world around him, appearing lost and confused while doing so.

She could tell that it was slowly eating at him, however she could also tell that although it frustrated him, the amnesia didn't drive him to the point of insanity... _or worse_.

For Zen, all he could show for the time that passed were a few distorted memories, not even sure if they were real or not.

Most if not all of these fragments came to him in his sleep, the first few would always appear 'familiar' yet he couldn't be definite, after some time dwelling at these remnants, the dreams would drastically change.

They evolved into nightmares, appearing so real that they caused him to violently awaken, his face awash in a cold sweat. He wasn't certain, but some would involve a figure almost identical to Penny- who would always meet the same fate.

It plagued his mind so much that it wasn't easy for him to return to slumber, at first he would go running, in an attempt to tire himself out.

However once he was up it was impossible for him to go back to bed, and so it became a routine for him to exercise in the early hours of the morning. By the time he had finished, dawn was already breaking and Penny would be just waking up by the time he returned to their dorm room.

Today the pair had finished their one on one training lesson and were now on their way to report to Ozpin with regards to Zen's overall progress.  
As the two walked along Beacons corridors, its red carpeted floor and wooden panelled walls led the way through towards the spire that housed the headmasters office.

Zen stopped for a minute gazing through one of the windows that looked out towards the courtyard. At the cliff side a ship had touched down, several groups of people disembarking from within once it fully came to rest.

"Well it looks as if we aren't going to be enjoying our one on one matches anymore with a crowd turning up." Zen said with a facetious tone in his voice.

"Well, it is the start of lessons tomorrow, and I imagine that's what Professor Ozpin wanted to see us about and so..."

She stopped mid sentence as she could see her friend with a visible look of confusion on him as his eyes' were fixed on the off ramp of the ship.

"Hey Penny?" Zen slowly began to ask.

"Yes Zen?"

"Is it just me... or does that girl with the camera have what look like a pair of animal ears on her head?" he said, not even making eye contact with Penny.

"Yes, those are indeed animal ears, she has them because she's a Faunus...I'm sure you know who the Faunus are?

"..."

"Surely you remember passing a few in Vale on our way to the transport ship? I assumed that you did and that since you never asked me about them, you must remember them?"

"Perhaps, I might have seen them. But I don't remember, considering that at the time, I was more focused on where I was going as well as not causing any contention with Glynda and the Atlesian guards. With all that in mind, you can understand why I didn't ask about the Faun-us." he said as his stare left the window to address Penny. After which, he instantly looked back at the Faunus in question, asking Penny something as the thought emerged in his head.

"So those are functioning ears?"

"Yes they are, but I should add that you shouldn't really draw too much at-"

"That's awesome!" Zen blurted out upon Penny confirming his suspicions.

"Come again?" Penny wearily asked, taken aback by his response.

"If she has a second pair of ears, that would mean she has heightened hearing, wouldn't she?

Also does that mean that the Faunus come with different traits based on the respectable animal parts that they have? Do they also have other traits based on simply being a Faunus?"

"Well, it depends on the person in question, but more or less they do, some traits can be more distinctive than others, for most if not all Faunus, their sense of sight is more effective than humans..." She paused for a moment before earning Zen's attention, wondering how exactly he would respond.

"And you don't find the animal features unsettling?"

"No, not really."

"Well that's good news at least. We should get going, we don't want to keep Professor Ozpin waiting." Penny said as she gestured for Zen to follow, he was still amazed at the idea of the Faunus, they appeared human, yet they had the advantage of certain animal traits.

Once the pair stepped out of the elevator, they were welcomed to sit, as Ozpin returned to his own chair after refilling his coffee mug.

"Good afternoon Miss Polendina, Mr Discovery, I take it you understand why I have requested to see you two?"

"We do sir." Penny replied.

"No doubt you have seen, Beacon will be springing back to life with lessons commencing tomorrow, hence the number of transport ships will be dropping students off for the rest of the afternoon.

Now we must discuss what you will be doing Mr Discovery... have you had any pre-existing memories resurface?

Zen kept quiet when Ozpin asked this, he avoided making eye contact with the headmaster. Penny interjected before anything else could be said.

"Unfortunately not sir, it's been...rough for him. But that doesn't mean that time has not been well spent, he has become so proficient in his combat training that I would compare him to say... a first or second year primary combat school student."

"I see, well by the sounds of it, you should be proud of your ability to mentor others Miss Polendina.

However we must address what happens now. I have already informed my staff about your attendance in their classes Mr Discovery. You will be going through the course material just as the rest of my students.

I have also created the appropriate identification and supporting credentials that you will use alongside your alias until the return of your original memories. You'll find these details as well as class times, room locations and the layout of Beacon on this."

Ozpin said, handing a black device to Zen, who began to study it, unsure how to properly use it.

"What is _this_ thing exactly?" Zen finally said in a defeated tone, holding the device up after playing around with it for a minute or so.

"It's known as a scroll. You will need this in order to access the training rooms from tomorrow onwards, it is able to perform multiple functions including acting as a means by which to communicate with others within the kingdom of Vale. Miss Polendina, I think for the rest of the afternoon you will show Mr Discovery how to use his scroll."

"Yes sir."

 **"** You know this might explain why on the day of your arrival I had quite a difficult time finding any information regarding you Mr Discovery, at first I thought it might have been the image Glynda took of you and the recognition system could not properly identify you. However once you were present there were still complications...well we can solve that problem another time.

There are three important things you need to remember for tomorrow;

You will keep up with my students in course work as well as you possibly can.

Miss Polendina will be returning to her own training lessons and so you will only have the chance to see her in one or two lessons, and when you reconvene at the end of the day. You may still have the chance to train with her, however you will not have the freedom of using the training rooms as you have now, so you will have to schedule a time to practice with her." He said as he paused for a moment.

"Finally... under any circumstances... you are not to tell anyone about your connection with regards to last weeks' incident as well as your amnesia...do I make myself clear Mr Discovery?"

Ozpin said in an elevated tone.

"Y-yes, yes sir." Zen replied, a little startled by his sudden change in demeanour

"Alright, that is all I needed to cover, did either of you two have any further questions?"

"No sir." They both responded in unison.

"Alright, then in that case, you two are dismissed."

With that, the pair stood up and made their way to the elevator. Once they left, Ozpin returned to the window side, coffee in hand as he looked down towards the newly docked transport ship, he could make out a red hooded figure followed by a yellow long haired one disembarking from it.

"Something tells me that Mr Discovery is going to have fun meeting those two." Ozpin said with a smirk as he drank his coffee.

* * *

 _ **Well whaddya know... I'm 3 days behind my intended publish time. I don't know what it was bout his chapter, but it took me a very long while to write it up, editing it took almost as long. But it is finally here, and as the grey hair man said...we're going ot get a chace to finally introduce more characters...**_

 _ **I would like to write more, but right now I think I will leave it here.**_

 _ **Going to watch episode 6 of RWBY  
See you in the next chapter.**_


	7. Chapter 6

"It feels so quiet and peaceful when we arrive at Beacon." Ruby remarked as she was the first of the sisters to step onto solid ground.

"I swear you say that every time we get here sis, as if this is a whole new experience for you or something." Yang responded as she stretched her arms, relieved that she was no longer confined to the ship.

"I know, but it just...feels like every time we come back from break... I'm taking my first steps at Beacon, just those first few moments of being here, the memory playing out each time."

"Well are you finished soaking up the scene? Let's get going."

Once they had taken in the fresh cool breeze of their surroundings, Yang and Ruby made their way to the rear of the ship, where their luggage as well as Zwei would be collected.

As they waited, Ruby glanced around at the students who were already making their way towards Beacons interior.

She had felt both nervous and excited with the arrival of students from the other academies, nervous because of what type of people they might be.

 _Could the people of Atlas really behave as Weiss once did? Did people from Mistral be as cautious of others like Blake? And were those from Vacuo as outgoing and rebellious as Sun?_

But what made her really excited was the fact that with the arrival of students, meant the presence of a plethora of different weapons, it also meant the possibility of seeing them in action before the tournament.

She was brought out of her thoughts as the familiar sound of barks echoed for a moment.

Before she could even blink, she yelled out the corgi's name, wanting nothing more than to open up his cage and let him loose. However she was caught off guard.

"Zwei!"

 _ **Whump**_

"Heads up." Yang said, as she tossed a red and black bag at her sibling.

Knowing too well that Ruby would most likely forget her bag in anticipation of freeing Zwei from his doggy prison.

She smirked as the red head sprawled onto the ground as a result of a direct hit from her as well as the lack of concentration her sister had at that moment.

Grabbing the dog cage as well as her own yellow duffle bag, she spun around to find Ruby still on the ground, with an almost hurt look on her face.

"C'mon sis, I've thrown punches harder than that when you try to wake me.

Did it really hurt that much?"

"You know how much I hate having Zwei in the luggage hold, he spent nearly an hour cooped up in it. Can't you let him have some freedom?"

"Ruby, Zwei is going to have plenty of time to stretch is paws once we're back in our dorm, I know he will stay with us on the short walk back.

But with all these people here, I would rather keep him close by... as well as keep an eye on you.

I know how once we land, you just want to use your semblance and race right through these people to get back to the rooms to see if we're the first back or not."

"No I wasn't"

"..."

"Okay... maybe I am a little excited to see the others again."

"You'll have all of the semester to run around and be crazy, but right now let's just take a calm and slow walk to the dorm. Okay?"

"Alright Yang."

As the pair headed along the path everyone took, Ruby piped up, thinking about their holiday.

"I wish Blake and Weiss had come with us to Patch, they would have liked it, plus if they thought you were one for puns, they would have really liked dad."

"Well like the ice queen said, she has to keep up with what goes on in the Schnee Dust Company. The fact she has to be there means she'll know exactly what to change when she becomes the owner of the company, undoing the mistakes her dad had created in his time running it."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. I don't envy what she is burdened with though, especially when you're supposed to take time off when on holiday, not work just as hard as you would during the semester.

But I know Weiss will do great." Ruby replied as her mind wandered from one teammate to the next.

"I wonder how Blake's break spending time with Sun went?"

"Well I just hope they spent their holiday time well and didn't... monkey around."

"It's been less than five minutes since we're here and you've already started with puns?" Ruby said as she gave her older sister a scowl, her hood covering her face from embarrassment as nearby students turned to see Yang let out a sarcastic laugh at her own joke.

After the hilarity had died down, the pair remained quiet as they made their way towards their dorm, the muffled sounds of Blake and Weiss talking grew louder as the two approached the entrance to the room.

Before they entered, Yang turned to address her sister, beaming a smile that was all too familiar for Ruby to know that she was devising something sinister.

"Would you mind taking Zwei off my hands for a moment sis?"

"Yang, what are you planning to do?" Ruby said, hesitant by her older sisters' request.

"What?... I need both hands free so I can make an entrance, plus he's feeling a little heavy." Yang replied as she handed the cage to Ruby.

As Yang faced the door, with her back turned, she addressed the red head.

"Oh and could you stay behind me as we go in?"

Ruby could see that Yang was determined to follow through with the scheme.

Finally Ruby begrudgingly accepted.

Once Yang received confirmation she flung the door open and began singing at the top of her lungs as the duo walked in, Ruby quickly closing it behind herself so as not to attract any unwanted attention.

"I'M BACK, BACK IN THE NEW YANG GROOVE!"

This sudden outburst in the somewhat quiet dorm caused the other three girls to recoil in surprise.

"Would you please cut that out!" Weiss exclaimed, once her hearing slowly returned to her.

"What's wrong Weiss queen? A little jealous of my singing?" Yang teased as she stood tall, proud of how loud she could 'sing'.

"Hardly, I'd take those horrendous puns any time over that excuse of your screams you call singing."

"Well, I get the feeling I'm going to be getting the _cold shoulder_ from you as I have brand new material that will last until the end of the year and into the next." She replied as her focus then turned to Blake, who still appeared annoyed at the blonde. Yang smirked as her comedic side was kicking into overdrive.

"And did ya miss me Blakey?"

"Right now, I regret breathing the same air as you..." Blake said, almost hissing at the brawler.

"Aww Blake, you don't mean it that way do you?

Besides even if you didn't miss me, I know someone who really missed you..."

She smirked as she turned to grab the cage from her sister, slowly turning around, letting her teammate ponder what she was talking about.

"No... you didn't bring _it_ back with you?! NO, you're joking right?" Blake's voice was filled with dread as she connected the dots.

"He likes you Blake. Don't you want welcome back kisses from him?" Yang said as she opened the cage door, Blake's eyes' widening in horror.

"No Yang, please, get that thing away from me!"

But Blake's pleas for mercy went ignored as Yang let the corgi loose.

Zwei leapt out of the cage and stood straight up just in front of his taller and louder owner. He panted a little and sniffed the ground before lifting his head up, his beady little eyes making contact with amber ones.

Blake stood there motionless, afraid that its vision was based on movement. All the while Yang was smirking to herself, she walked around Zwei and casually picked up Blake, lifting her onto the top bunk and throwing her duffle bag over the Faunus once she placed her down. As Blake lay on Yang's bed, the blonde climbed up and sat beside her teammate.

"C'mon kitty cat, tell me about your adventure with Sun, Zwei can't get you up here." She said, in the hopes that it would bring Blake back to reality.

Both Ruby and Weiss stood in silence, staring at what unfolded in front of them. Once Yang had Blake talking to her, the red and white pair made eye contact with each other.

"Weiss!" Ruby cheered as she dashed to her teammate, leaping for a hug, much to Weiss' reluctance.

"Hello Ruby." Weiss sighed, slightly annoyed yet grateful for the exuberant welcome from her team leader, feeling the sense of warmth that came from the hug.

"Weiss I missed spending time with you, did you miss me, didya didya?"

"I was quite too busy observing what father did to really think about other things going on."

At that moment Ruby had an almost hurt puppy dog expression, but she changed it when a thought came into her head. She turned around to see the corgi at her side, so she picked him up and turned to face Weiss.

"You missed Zwei though, didn't you?"

"Oh how could I not miss a face like that. Who is the most handsome dog in all of Remnant? You are that's who." Weiss said in a babyfied tone as she began to scratch behind Zwei's _ear._

Ruby handed Zwei for Weiss to hold and as she did, she turned around and made her way to the door, her teammate placing the dog down as she caught sight of this.

"And where do you think you're going?" Weiss said as she grabbed onto Ruby's hood, yanking her back to where she stood momentarily.

"I was going to see if team JNPR were back, ask them about their time off."

"And leave your things in your bag until whenever? Ohhhh no...you are going to unpack your things before you're leaving this dorm. Do you hear me Ruby Rose?"

"B-but, but Zwei" Ruby said, trying to give the puppy dog look as she lifted Zwei up again and almost shoving him into Weiss' hands.

"You're not going to be using Zwei as leverage to procrastinate, just get your pack and put your things away, that's all I ask." Weiss said in a tired tone, crossing her arms so that Ruby wouldn't simply fling the corgi at her and use her semblance to make an escape.

 _It worked once, it won't work again._

"Alright, I'll unpack my things now then Weiss." Ruby finally said in defeat, as she placed her fluffy accomplice on the ground.

* * *

As the sun poured into their dorm room, Zen sat at the foot of his bed, playing with his scroll as he read his timetable for the lessons of the day.

Penny was due to leave earlier than normal and so Zen made sure to be ready before she left for her own lessons.

"So how do you feel?" Penny asked as she made one or two last minute checks of her combat backpack.

"Nervous to say the least, worried about what could happen, not to mention the things Ozpin said floating in the back of my mind." Sighing as he said these things.

"So you'll be good with your private lessons?"

"Yes, it will just be a continuation of what I've done before our time together, as well as improving upon my ability to control these swords."

"Well did you want me to walk with you to your lesson?" Zen said, his voice sounding a little more energetic.

"I think you should take the time you have before classes to just clear your head as well as maybe getting to know where your lessons will be situated." Penny said reluctantly.

"Oh." Zen said, he turned his head away from Penny as he looked towards the carpet, the sense of anxiety slowly started to tighten his chest.

Sensing how he felt, Penny walked over to her friend, knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. The only sound that filled the room for a minute or so was Zen's slow breathing, the thoughts that bothered him moments ago disappeared as they sat there.

"You will do fine Zen, if you do talk to anyone, just talk to them as if you were talking to me... and in no time, I'm sure they'll come to call you a friend just like I have." She said before releasing him from their embrace.

"T-thanks Penny, I know that you have your own thing to do, so you should get going. I'll collect myself and get ready for class." Zen said as he looked up at the red head.

"Alright, if you are sure...I'll see you in the afternoon, hopefully no one will be using the training rooms and we can continue like we did yesterday." Saying this as she made her way to the door.

"I'll see you then." Zen said as he watched Penny give a final wave before she closed the door behind her. He sighed once the sound of her footsteps were barely audible.

 _Come on Zen, best get going._

And with that in mind he got his things and headed for his first lesson.

As he made his way down a corridor he opened up his scroll to see if he was even in the right part of the academy.

 _Well looks like the right room. Best go in rather than just standing out here thinking to myself._ He reflected as he went in.

Looking around he could see that the class was almost ready to start, with nearly all the seats being occupied. There was still time before the lesson and so it made sense to see one or two students talking quite loudly, one girl that had a bow on was reading and a girl sat beside her appeared to be cracking jokes.

Zen decided to sit at the front, given that it appeared that his 'peers' had dominion over the seats they were on.

As he sat, his attention was drawn to what appeared to be a map of Remnant, it show the terrain as well as the names of various regions that made up the four kingdoms. There were also several papers with writing pinned on the map and on top of that, there was also string that interconnected the papers to one another.

He blinked for a second and as he did, standing in front of the map was a man with green hair and large glasses, he also carried a cup in his hand.

He gestured for Zen to approach, at first Zen thought he was signalling another student, but as he did it a second time, almost as fast as the first. Zen stood up and walked over.

"Hello, you must be Mr Discovery, I've been told of your presence in my history class, welcome ."

"Uh thank you sir." Zen said, a little surprised by how quick teacher spoke.

"You can call me Dr Oobleck, and make sure you get it right..."

"Oo-bleck?"

" No, doctor."

"Alright, I'll make sure of that... Dr Oobleck."

"So I've heard that you have spent some time in Beacon before lessons started, do you like the time here thus far?"

"Yes I have indeed."

"Well that's alright, isn't it? Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like the class to know you'll be studying alongside them, perhaps you'll make friends with one or two of my students before the end of the day?"

"Um, I'd rather not stand up here and make a big deal about it...if that's alright?"

"Nonsense, I've met students who were several times as timid as you are, you seem to be a confident well spoken type of individual. You aren't nervous talking to me right now are you?"

"No, not really..."

"Then it's settled then, I will allow you to take your seat in a moment."

 _Well here goes nothing._ Zen thought to himself, looking around at everyone within the room.

A sharp pain filled his head for a moment as his eyes rested on a red hooded girl. The pain quickly subsided as Doctor Ooblecks' voice took his attention.

"Quieten down children. I would like to introduce you all to Zen Discovery, a student from Atlas who wishes to study at Beacon after the Vytal festival.

Please make him feel welcome, but make sure you do it after class.

For now we're already a minute behind the lesson, so take your seat Mr Discovery, and as for the rest of you, take out your notes as we were discussing the times of war between the four kingdoms..."

* * *

 ** _And with that I give you a chapter, on time this week._**

 ** _And we finally get to see team RBWY..yay (was really easy to write them once I had the setup)...all i had to work with was Ooblecks final line of introducing Zen)_**

 ** _So gotta say Chapter 6 of RWBY was great, the Apathy are definitely a unique form of Grimm._**

 ** _Also did anyone get the reference to yang's singing?  
Hint: It is linked to a song in GTA 4. _**

**_That was it from me today,_**

 ** _Will see you in the next chapter._**


	8. Chapter 7

"I'm afraid we're going to have to pick this up in our next lesson. Make sure to complete the questions before the end of the week, you are dismissed...oh and Mr Discovery. Could you please stay behind for the time being?"

Zen remained seated as he watched the rest of his classmates making their way towards the exit, _they were all so colourfully dressed_. Seeing their unique appearance also made him think what type of custom weapons they would use in combat.

 _Wonder why I have to stay back?_ He thought to himself.

As he did, Zen noticed the same red hooded girl standing just in front of the exit...almost like she was waiting for him.

His head began to ache as it did when the lesson started, but only momentarily as her teammates beckoned her to follow.

Seeing that no other students stayed behind to see Oobleck, Zen stood up and approached the eccentric teacher.

"Well, I'm glad that Oobleck's class is over...I guess you could say, its history?"

Yang proclaimed, only receiving silence from her teammates as the four of them made their way towards the sparring rooms.

"You realise that the joke was hardly worth the effort of a response." Weiss finally replied after the blonde appeared to seek some form of approval from the trio.

"Really ice queen... it was pretty alright, I mean, these jokes aren't going to write themselves are they?"

"You're the worst, just letting you know. Also I think you might be dropping the bar on your sense of humour."

Yang lifted her head upwards in disgust at the very idea that she was losing her touch.

"Oh I see how it is, my puns do not meet Schnee standards. Well I'm just going to resort to more 'sophisticated' forms of humour if I'm ever going to get admiration from your _whine-ess_." She said in a dramatic tone.

"Yang, putting you and sophistication in the same sentence is like Ren and Nora not being in the same room together for more than a minute... its nonexistent."

"Hey Blake did you want to add to the conversation?"

"No comment." Blake responded, her bow slightly quivered as she was being addressed.

"Ruby, want to chime in on this?"

"..."

"Any day now would be great...like right about now sis."

"..."

"Ruby!"

"Oh wha-? Sorry what was the question again?"

"Yang was asking about your opinion of the pun that she made as well as also if she was capable of telling jokes that are... as she would put it _'more sophisticated'_?"

"Uh well I uh..." Ruby stammered as she tried to give an answer.

"You two do realise her thoughts have been somewhere else the entire duration of your conversation." Blake interjected, still keeping her eyes on the page she was reading.

"Gee sis, you still processing what Oobleck said in his lesson? I know I still am. But I wouldn't have expected you to, seeing as how you've enjoyed his lessons ever since the Mountain Glenn mission..."

"No it's not that, I was just...thinking"

"Perhaps you could try doing that next time we study together." Weiss responded, earning a slight chuckle from Yang.

"You know what, never mind, it's not really that important." Ruby said as her voice trailed off, going back to her thoughts.

"If you're sure sis, we won't pester you about it."

"..."

"She'll come back to us by next class. Now what were we talking about? Oh yeah, my jokes..." Yang continued their previous conversation as team RWBY continued along their path.

 _Zen seemed pretty alone in Ooblecks class. And no one appeared to be waiting for him once the lesson was over. I wonder if he's feeling the same way as I did when I started?_

 _Maybe after one or two days... I'll try to befriend him, yeah that's what I'll do._ Ruby thought, ignoring the bickering that was happening between her older sister and her partner.

"I know that you are scheduled for Professor Goodwitch's class straight after mine, so I will be quick as I can."

Oobleck said, as he began pouring himself another cup of coffee from his thermos flask.  
"How did you find the lesson? I've been told by some of my students that out of everything in their curriculum, my lessons are harder than taking on a Deathstalker. So I thought it best to check to see if you might also think that."

"No, I wouldn't go as far to say that... _probably because I have no idea what a Deathstalker even is..._ but I'll get the hang of writing down notes _._ "Zen said as he scratched the back of his head.

"I enjoyed hearing about how the technological revolution began amidst the great war and how some of the greatest tech in Remnant started out because of it."

"So you _were_ paying attention to what I was saying. Usually when I get new students they have trouble focusing.

So it's interesting to see a new student being attentive for once." The doctor said, as he pushed his glasses back up to their proper resting place.

"I had hoped it might have helped me find my-" Zen cut himself off as he wasn't sure if Ozpin had mentioned his amnesia to Oobleck.

"Sorry, you said finding your what?"

"Um...finding myself, I mean I've been in Atlas my whole life, and coming to train and study at Beacon...it feels like I don't know who or where I am...so trying to find something that reminds me of where I come from is always welcome."

"Well I can understand that. You're not the first of my students to say something like this to me, and you won't be the last.

So if you do need any help with lesson material or anything else, do not hesitate to find and ask me...I commend it." Oobleck said with an energetic tone. "Well I think I've taken enough of your time, best head off to the sparring rooms then... Oh and Mr Discovery... welcome to Beacon."

"Thank you, Doctor Oobleck."

As Zen entered the sparring room, he felt both anxious and excited as he saw the many weapons each of the students carried, he was intrigued by the sheer variety of them.

But as he was sitting down, he remembered that there could be the possibility that he might have to spar off with one of these students. _No telling how skilled the user was with their custom tool of conflict._

His mind going back to when Penny mentioned the nature of some weapons and their ability to have several functions.

His thoughts were cut short as the sound of heels clicking on the wooden sparring room floor took his attention. Zen felt a slight shiver in down his spine as he saw Goodwitch, whose presence must have had the same effect on everyone else as the room suddenly fell silent.

"Hello everyone, I trust it you all had an enjoyable break?

Now however we must get on with combat evaluation. But before we begin, some of you might know that we have a new student... Mr Discovery." she said. Her focus shifted directly to Zen as she addressed him.

"Since you hail from Atlas, I take it you are accustomed to sparring against your peers?

So is there anyone you wish to contest with?"

"Um... No, I'll...I'll allow someone else the chance." Zen said, shuffling in his seat.

"Alright, are there any volunteers?"

"Yeah I'll go, and I'll fight Blondie."

"Alright then, Mr Thrush, Ms Xiao Long, take your places on the sparring floor."

The fight only lasted for six or so minutes with 'Blondie' winning, Zen was amazed by how the blonde's weapons delivered a powerful blast every time they connected with their opponent.

The following matches were just as impressive, it felt like for sure someone would get severely injured during a few of the conflicts he witnessed, Goodwitch stopping them before it ever came to that.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, Zen was the focus of attention by a pair of students.

"Hey Jaune. Why don't _you_ fight the new guy? You could easily take him on , one hand tied behind your back." Nora whispered energetically."

"What? No. Nora I don't want to fight him, besides, this is his first day at Beacon, I'd let him settle in first before fighting him."

"Come on, look at him, you'd be able to overpower him with your size alone."

"He's slightly taller than you Nora. And just because Jaune has a height advantage doesn't mean this will translate into an advantage of skill." Ren whispered as he became intrigued with the discussion his teammates were having.

"Ren's right in that regard. I mean look at what happened when we squared off against each other last semester..." Jaune trailed off, rubbing his head as he recounted when Manghild connected with it.

As Jaune said this, Nora's eyes widened with a maniacal expression.

 _Nothing like a good beat down._ She thought to herself, just before a new thought came to her mind.

"I wonder what type of weapon you'll have to deal with?"

"Nora, for the last time I'm not fighting him."

"Ooh, do you think it might be invisible." She pondered, ignoring her teammate.

"Invisible?" Ren asked, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Yeah, I mean, can you see any weapon next to him?"

"Now that you mention it.

It was unusual that he seemed nervous when we sat down. And he still seem nervous once the sparring began.

At first I thought perhaps he was dealing with being new here, or that it was after he saw the other competition.

But now I'm thinking he might be worried about having to spar off with someone without his own weapon."

" Could it have been damaged when he was on a mission? " Jaune began to wonder before being cut off by the red head.

"Or he has a weapon so small, that it fits in his pocket, like...like a pen!"

Nora triumphantly announced, receiving an audience with the entire class, Professor Goodwitch included.

"Miss Valkyrie, would you mind explaining to me as well as your peers the reason for your sudden outburst? Are you volunteering for the next sparring match?"

"No Professor Goodwitch..." She trailed off, glancing at her blonde teammate with a gleam in her eyes before returning her attention to the professor.

"Actually we were discussing Jaune's eagerness to spar, he wanted to challenge Zen..."

"Nora!"

"I see. Well then, Mr Arc, Mr Discovery, if you two don't mind approaching the sparring area." Goodwitch said as she gestured for the pair to take their respective places.

 _Thanks Nora, real helpful of yah to rope me into this match...just hope the other guy isn't the hard hitting, swift dodging type, especially if he's coming from Atlas academy._

Jaune thought to himself as he made is way down to the designated starting area.

As he took his place, Jaune attached his scroll to the back of his shield and loaded the aura monitoring program. Once it had finished, he could see a green bar next to the photo of him, however he had a perplexed expression on him as the same green bar appeared absent next to Zen's photo.

Thinking it was his scroll that was acting up, he glanced over at the projection that displayed the same information about the sparring pair to those watching the fight, it too appeared identical to Jaune's scroll.

He looked over to his opponent, who made his way to the respective starting position after grabbing his training swords, limbering up as he did.

Jaune's thoughts disappeared as Professor Goodwitch's voice filled the quiet room.

"Before we begin the match, I will point out to you all one thing. You may notice that Mr Discovery's aura level is not present on the score board.

That is due to the fact he has a rare condition, one where he is unable to generate an aura and thus he is vulnerable to even the simplest of attacks.

So take care when fighting him Mr Arc. This applies to the rest of you in future sparring matches with Mr Discovery as well.

We will determine when to cease the fight either when Mr Discovery yields before his opponent, or when he may have taken a few blows before being unable to retaliate."

The lights began to dim, only illuminating the sparring area as Goodwitch stepped out and stood where everyone else watched, signalling that the match would begin shortly.

Zen looked over to his combatant, feeling as though he should say something before the fight started.

 _Come on Zen, just remember what Penny said...address him as if you were talking to her._ He thought to himself as he took a fighting stance, his nerves taking hold of him as eyes were fixed on the two of them.

"I... I look forward to seeing your skills..." Zen said in an audible, yet sheepish tone.

"Uh, thank you?.. And the same to you." Jaune said in a polite tone, sensing his opponent's slight fear.

A fear he once experienced moments before being launched into the emerald forest on his second day at Beacon.

"Alright, are you two ready?" Goodwitch responded, the pair both nodded as they looked at her. "You may begin then."

The two held their position for a moment before Jaune slowly advanced towards Zen, his shield poised and his right arm raised for a jab.

Zen remained stationary for the time being as he assessed the larger boy.

Once Jaune was within arm's reach, Zen side stepped the oncoming attack while he slashed at Jaune's side, their weapons made a connection with each other.

Both students stood stationary, locked in standoff, until Zen pushed off against his opponent and changed his position.

Before Jaune could even react, his body radiated a white aura as Zen's sword made contact with Jaune's back, who then swatted at the smaller boy with his shield causing Zen to step back as it nearly knocked him off his feet.

Jaune took the moment to strike, bringing his sword down along a diagonal slash, to which Zen raised both his swords to guard it. Feeling what might have been most of Zen's strength pushing against Crocea Mors, Jaune thought he could use this to work in his favour. He brought up his shield as he prepared his manoeuvre, once it was in the right position he brought his weapon to his side, causing Zen to fall forward into Jaune's shield, slightly disorientating him as his head slammed into it.

With that Jaune delivered several slashes at Zen. Though Zen might have been dazed, he could still make sure to keep a certain distance between him and his adversary, keeping his swords raised.

"Keep up the offensive Jaune! You're doing great!" One of the spectating students called out.

Zen glanced over to where the voice came from, feeling as if he had heard it before.

He saw that the supporting classmate was the same black and red haired, hood wearing girl that was in his previous class.

And just like before, a sensation of pain washed through his head and he slightly tensed up by it.

A second later, he could feel himself being caught off balance as Jaune's shield connected with his body.

Once Zen met with the floor, his head stopped aching, allowing him to think before he rolled on his side so he could get back on his feet as Jaune waited to see if his opponent would give up or not.

Zen went in for another slashing attack, Jaune reciprocated accordingly by using both his shield and Crocea Mors to deflect the oncoming move. Once both combatants held their position, Zen brought his weapons to his side and dashed around Jaune, again cutting at his back, causing his aura to fluctuate.

Zen tried to go for a second attack, but was sent stumbling backwards as Jaune's shield collided into him as the larger boy spun around.

Before Zen was ready to get back on his feet, the lights came back on and Goodwitch returned to where she was before the match began.

"I'm afraid that's time, and given that Mr Arc was the one to deliver the last blow, he wins this match."

As the rest of the students got up to leave, Zen remained on the ground, sighing with some sense of relief, although he had lost, it felt good that he fought someone with basic weapons that were on par with his.

" _You need a hand up_?" Zen heard as he raised his head up to see Jaune standing above him with an extended hand.

 _This seems familiar._ Jaune thought to himself.

"Thanks." Zen replied as he was brought back to his feet. "You did very well".

"You think so? You're one of the only people I've faced where I might have had the chance to win outright."

"Well seeing the other competition, I'm glad that you got to fight someone a little more...average. But yes, if it didn't end there, I might have given in, seeing as how I was getting battered around by your shield work."

"Sorry about that by the way. I did it because I was worried that I might have injured you if I used Crocea Mors. I've only come to know about aura when I first began here, but I didn't know that it was possible for someone to not fully have one."

"Yeah, it kinda sucks...but no point in worrying about what you don't have. Am I right?

By the way I'm Zen."

"I'm Jaune. So you're from Atlas? What's the academy like over there?"

"Well it's-"

"HEY JAUNE. ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT? WE'VE GOT PLACES TO GO AND THE CAFETERIA IS ONE OF THEM!"

"Oh that's my team, I'd better go with them, Nora there goes ballistic if she misses lunch...and you don't want to see her if she does, it was great to meet you."

"Likewise." Zen murmured as he watched Jaune meet up with the duo as they made their way to the exit.

Zen decided he wouldn't eat in the cafeteria, but instead eat outside under a tree and then spend the time before his next class in the library, walking through the aisles to find anything that might keep him occupied, or at the very least, find a book that he might recognize.

The afternoon classes went pretty quick in Zen's mind, only because there really wasn't much that went on. Once the final lesson finished, he made his way to the sparring room, hoping that Penny was there already.

It wasn't until ten minutes had passed before he heard the door open as the red head walked through.

"Salutations Zen, how did everything go?" She said, beaming at him as she made her way to where he sat.

"Uh, everything went alright..." Zen said, his words trailing off as he spoke.

"Well did you make any friends?"

"No not really." He replied, then thinking for a moment before speaking again.

"Hey Penny. Do you remember when you told me about your friend Ruby... just double checking, she wears a red hood, right?

"Yes, that's correct. Why do you ask? is she in one of your lessons?" Penny asked, the tone in her voice slightly rising in excitement at the idea of her friends possibly meeting each other.

"Well yes she is, in fact she was in all the classes I had today..."

"That's great, she's an amazing individual, isn't she?"

" I didn't get the chance to talk to her..."

"Oh, and why was that?"

"I couldn't get the chance to talk to her without her team or friends being there...at least after the first class that is."

"But there's something else, isn't there?" Penny inquired, sensing Zen wasn't telling her the whole story.

"Yes there is. It's hard to describe, but when I first saw her... I knew that, given by your description, she is definitely your friend.

However, with the first two lessons at least. Every time I saw her, my head was seething with a sudden pain, and what makes things more confusing is that every time I looked away, the pain would stop instantly.

With respect to the other lessons, I knew she was there because I was able to catch a glimpse of her without getting a headache.

"Was today the first time you've seen her?"

Zen paused for a long while, although he wanted his brain to command his mouth to say no, he could sense a small region saying otherwise...

 _There was_ _something familiar about her_.

"No...I don't think I have." He finally said after he snapped out of his inner thoughts, seeing Penny appearing worried by her friends' mental trance.

"Hmm, I really don't know what to say about that Zen, I thought that perhaps you knew her before your amnesia and your mind responded in recalling that information.

But if the case was that you two have met previously, she should have known who you were...other than that, there is nothing that could suggest this complication." She said with a disheartened tone.

"Well if that's the case, can we spar together?

I fought this guy, Jaune Arc, he managed to win because the lesson ended and I want to work on some tactics that I used in that fight, see where I went wrong." He sighed with a tired tone in his voice.

"Alright, we can do that." Penny said, smiling at him.

For the next twenty or so minutes, Zen recounted the fight that took place several hours ago, recreating not only the moves he used, but also the ones that his opponent had used against him. When that was finished they began to spar.

"If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure that Jaune Arc is the leader of team JNPR. I'm also quite certain that he is also friends with Ruby." Penny said in between guarding and attacking.

"He seemed like an alright guy, even though I only had roughly a minute to talk to him after the class had ended." Zen replied.

As the match went on, Zen decided to go on the offensive as he swung at Penny, creating a sweeping arc in the process.

She ducked, letting her opponents' weapon pass over her.

During this swift motion, a sound similar to paper being torn followed by a roar could be heard, Zen's arm came to rest at his side as he stood in silence, staring at what appeared before him.

In the midst of his swing, the air in front of his blade parted ways, producing a dim light, which followed the sword as it kept moving along its path. The end result was a gold coloured ring that appeared to shimmer like an aura. Within the rim of light was an opening, on the other side appeared something very familiar to the pair.

Penny who had remained still after evading the attack, stood up, retracting her swords and went to her combatant's side.

"That...that's our dorm room..."

Zen finally managed to say as he remained perplexed at what he just did.

"Not quite exactly" Penny remarked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well consider the book on the desk, _Commander of the Halos,_ I don't have any book of that name on my desk. I don't even keep reading books on my desk...come to think of it I don't believe there is any record of a book of that title."

Just as Zen was about to contend how she could be so sure of herself, Penny produced her scroll and gave it to him... the scroll displayed several book suggestions regarding other titles, but notthe exact one on the desk.

"So you mean to tell me that on the other side of this rim of energy...is a dorm but it isn't ours?" Zen said, slightly agitated by what Penny might be suggesting.

"Possibly, now tell me, when you went to strike me, what was going through your mind?"

"Well, I was just thinking how busy today had been and I just thought of nothing more than going to bed after we sparred... the bed which is located in our dorm..." Zen eyes widening slightly as it slowly made sense why this opening led to a dorm similar to his own.

"Zen, I think we might have found your semblance, and possibly the explanation as to what happened the day we met."

"I was under the impression that one couldn't have a semblance without having an aura?"

"But you still have a soul, and that could be how you're able to use a semblance.

Or your semblance has been in a _standby_ like state since the incident and it's decided to activate again, your aura might also behave in the same manner.

The only other explanation I could say is that this might be something like a semblance, but it doesn't operate like one."

"Okay then, well I'm going to investigate..."

With that Zen slowly raised his right sword, extending it towards the opening. As if it were mealy an open doorway, the sword passed right through with no resistance, he moved it side to side before deciding it was safe... _to some degree_. He then carefully allowed his right arm to pass through, feeling no pain or anything concerning, he looked back and Penny.

"I'm going in."

"Alright, be careful." She urged. Zen nodded and stepped through the opening. As he made it to the other side he looked around the dorm.

"Seems to be safe, I'm going to look around here before coming back through."

"Alright, but be careful not to damage anything."

Indeed Penny was right in that there were several differences. For one, the sheets on the bed were not red like in their own dorm, but rather blue. Then there was a poster on one of the walls.

 _Sex Swing...must be a band of some sort._ Zen thought to himself as he continued to look around the room.

After another two minutes, he felt that he had explored the room enough and made his way towards the opening.

"Wait STOP!" Penny yelled as Zen was about to step through.

"What's the matter?"

"What if this is a one way portal and you might be annihilated when you pass through."

Zen looked around for something he could use to test Penny's hypothesis, his eyes finally coming to rest on a pencil on the desk.

As he tossed it towards the portal, it looked like it was just about to cross over to the other side, but as if there was an invisible wall there, the pencil stopped abruptly and slid straight down.

"So sound and light can pass back and forth with no issue, yet it draws the line on solid matter?!"

Zen said, as he looked at Penny with a small frown of confusion on his face.

"Perhaps it's a failsafe... possibly because if it were a two way portal, you don't want anything coming out from the other side at the same time as you're going in."

"How then am I going to come back?" Zen replied, feeling a slight pang in his chest.

"Try opening another portal." She suggested.

Doing as he was told, Zen raised his arm and brought it down in the same fashion as he did before...nothing happened.

"Perhaps you have to close this one before you can open a new one."

"Alright, I'll do that..." Zen said nervously, afraid that he might not be able to reopen a portal once he closed this one.

"I'll be right here waiting" Penny said reassuringly, as she knew exactly what he was thinking.

With that, Zen nodded. He thought for a moment before he brought his right arm in front of him, lifting it upwards, mirroring his swing in reverse. As the blade moved along the portal, it appeared to close up as the weapons tip moved through it.

Once the portal sealed shut, Zen let his weapon sit at his side as he thought. A moment later Zen cut diagonally along the air, producing another portal as he performed the motion.

He squinted as he looked through to see another dorm room, only it had four beds in a row and the sheets covering them were green.

 _Alright, stop thinking about being tired and focus..._ Zen thought to himself as he closed the portal.

He cleared his mind before motioning his arm to produce a new portal. This time it wasn't another dorm room, but rather a fenced off cliff top that looked outward to three natural sandstone peaks jutting up through a sea of trees.

Zen's heart began to beat faster, his hands slightly quivered as he inhaled. In one swift motion, he shut yet another portal.

 _You need to focus...you need to get back...get back to Penny._ Zen thought as he began to have an inner monologue with himself.

He began to think about all that he had seen at Beacon, more importantly, he thought about the sparring room he was in as well as who was in it.

From the way she smiled to the thought of her voice, Zen had a mental image of Penny as he raised his arm up and opened another portal.

As it opened he could see Penny, before he stepped through, he decided to check if he really did find the right Penny.

"What was the last thing we were talking about before I opened the portal?"

"We talked about Jaune Arc, his status on his team and how he is a kind person."

"Okay, what happened after we first met?"

"You told me you needed to use the restroom so you could vomit."

"Last question, name me three of your friends..."

"I can only name two, Ruby Rose, and you Zen." Penny said with a slightly confused tone.

He smiled as he passed through the portal back to the sparring room he was in several minutes ago, closing it behind him once fully through.

"Sorry, but I had to make sure it was really you, when I opened a new portal, it led me to another unfamiliar dorm room to the one I was in. So I had to close it and open another one in order to get back here."

"At least you are getting the hang of your semblance if you only had to retry once..."

"Seems as if I need to concentrate on where I want to go and I can open a portal to take me there..."

"That could be a possibility. I think after that whole scenario, we should go to bed, we'll have clearer heads to think about it after we sleep." Penny said as she walked over to where they kept their bags."

As they made their way back to their dorm, Zen decided it would be best to neglect telling Penny about the portal he made prior to the one that brought him back, as he was worried about how she might respond if he told her.

Thinking that the portal operated by his thoughts, Zen believed that if he thought of one specific word, it would take him back to the sparring room and Penny.

But when the portal didn't open up to where he expected it would, the same word came to his mind as he smelt the fresh air that blew in from the other side of the portal... _Home._

* * *

 _ **I'm here with another cahpter...quite a long one as well,.**_

 _ **I hope you guys had a good Christmas or holiday with friends and family,or if you don't celebrate any holiday, you're having a relaxing time during the final weeks of December.  
Right now as I write this we're experiencing a heatwave, getting close to 40 degrees Celsius (or 104 F) or higher in some parts of the country.  
**_

 _ **So I wanted to point out one of the 'refrences' I made the whole Commander of the Halos... noting to do with halo...rather it was just a wordplay of LOTR  
**_

 _ _ **Hope you all enjoy the read, see you in the next chapter.  
**__


	9. Chapter 8

_**Just a heads up to everyone reading this. Most of this chapter is written in a way that talks about the entire sequence of events in Volume 3, so perhaps gloss over those parts (not sure if it will after the flow of the chapter), which are in the middle. The beginnig and the end are the non vol 3 related stuff (you'll understand once you read it). Tried to write it without so much exposition, but i was compelled to do so.** _

**_Or just ignore what I said._**

* * *

After completing his usual morning run, Zen entered the dorm to find Penny sitting at the end of her bed reading a novel.

"I thought you would have gone for your lessons by now." he said, before grabbing his pack and stuffing it with several notebooks.

"Have you forgotten?. Considering you don't have lessons until midday, it would have been a waisted opportunity for us to work on your sparring if I had to work on my own training. Not to mention that General Ironwood had been notified of your scheduled lessons and allowed me the time to train with you in the largest breaks between your lessons.

In addition to this, we should also work on your semblance and see what you a capable of... even going so far as trying to incorporate it into your combat training."

"Fair enough, I just thought I would get my things ready anyhow. And you're sure that this is alright with the General?"

"I am definitely sure."

" I'll have a shower and then we can go get breakfast before we do anything else."

"I already had something while you were out."

 _ **Hiccup**_

"Hmm...I'll be quick as I can in that case. I'm just as eager to train as you are...oh and have you ever tried drinking a glass of water quickly?"

"I'm sorry?"

"For your hiccups, I'm pretty sure that's one way to get rid of them."

"Oh, well don't worry about them, they're not as frequent as you think. Thank you for the suggestion though"

"Well, if they don't bother you, then there's no real issue is there."

"None whatsoever."

"Be out in five." Zen said as the bathroom door closed behind him. Penny sighed to herself and continued to read once she heard the sound of running water.

After practicing for two hours, the pair decided to square off against each other before going to the dining hall to get something to eat before going to their separate lessons.

Halfway through the fight, Zen missed an opportunity to strike at Penny, who took the advantage and decided to retaliate.

By doing so, the side of her blade connected with Zen's head as he attempted to dodge it.

His vision blurred, then went dark as he sprawled onto the floor.

In that moment, something within his mind began to stir, and just like that, a very, very familiar song began to play out, the lyrics echoing in his head.

 _'This will be the day we've waited for._

 _This will be the day we open up the door...'_

This wasn't some sort of hallucination from a concussion, these were his memories... memories he could call his own.

As the dreams he had for the past week began to get answered so too did that location from yesterday reveal itself to him.

He found himself on the same cliff top overlooking the sea of trees. A blue haze hovered above them as he recalled the smell that entered through the portal... eucalyptus.

Those sandstone mountains, they made up the three sisters, which were a part of the Blue Mountains.

That was home, _on a not so ordinary planet orbiting a medium sized middle aged star...Earth._

He mouthed the last part as his mind began piecing everything back together.

" _Zen are you alright_?"

As he heard Penny's voice, images of _RWBY_ flashed before him , not the team itself, but scenes from the actual show.

 _Only on Earth was it a show._

 _But not here_.

 _This was fully real._

 _If only Monty could have seen it_ for _himself_.

As his vision slowly returned, Zen looked up at Penny. Once he made eye contact with her, images of _PVP_ flashed before him, the sights the sounds, all playing out within his head.

He tried to hold back tears that came, but to no avail as his mind replaced the current expression of concern on Penny's face with the memory of a lifeless one, her body laying on the ground of the Vytal stadium in several pieces.

"P-Penny... I-I-I-r- remember... I remember w-who I am... I have my memories back and I-I... wait. I-I need to see Ozpin. Right now!"

"Zen calm down, what's wrong, why are you crying?"

 _There might be time, it's not too late._ Zen thought to himself, getting up from where he lay and sprinted for the door, ignoring Penny's worrying plea for a response from her friend.

He bolted down the corridor, talking to himself about what he was considering:

"If Penny is here, and the Vytal festival hasn't begun yet, there could still be time to-"

Zen was cut short as he made his way around a corner. Only getting so far before landing on the floor after bumping into someone much larger than he was.

"I'm sorry"

 _T-t-that, that voice it can't be?_

Zen's eyes widened, despite his vision still blurred.

As they refocused, he could see a pair of blackish red boots and as his eyes drifted upwards to see the figure who he ran into, vivid green eyes met with his brown teary one's. She gave an apologetic smile extending a hand out.

As Zen was pulled back up, he was the first to speak, trying to fight back the image of Pyrrha turning to dust before Ruby's eyes.

"Pyrrha you're okay... It's really you isn't it?"

"Yes it's me, all in one piece. Just a little startled when we knocked into each other is all."

She said with a friendly smile.

"You must be Zen, the student from Atlas who wants to train at Beacon. it's a pleasure to meet you..."

"Um no, I mean yes, I mean it's like wise, to meet you that is... I need to go I'm, I'm sorry I ran into you, nice meeting you too".

He fumbled with his words, which were trailing behind him at this point as he raced toward the elevator that would lead to the headmasters' office.

Entering the elevator he juggled with his scroll as he placed it onto the scanner to verify his access.

 _Maybe there was still time, I need to know when this is taking place. Hopefully I can stop this before it even starts._

The doors couldn't open quick enough as Zen stepped out of the elevator trying to keep as calm as he could. Ozpin sat at his desk with mug in hand, looking over the details of upcoming missions and overseeing the final construction plans of the Vytal stadium.

"Hello Mr Discovery and what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?"

"Hello sir, well the first thing is, I have regained my memories."

"Well that is excellent news."

"But there's more to it. Is this a good time to talk?

It's very urgent what I need to tell you.. and also if possible, you should power down any device that is connected to the CCT tower for this conversation."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow at what Zen suggested. However, he had never seen the young man with such an expression of worry, dread and fear on him right now, pleading to have an audience with the headmaster.

"Alright, but once I do I want you to tell me from the beginning, as well as why it would be so important that this conversation is being held behind closed doors."

Just as Zen was about to speak the elevator door parted and out stepped Penny followed by general Ironwood.

Ozpin got up from where he was seated and walked over to the general,

Penny meanwhile approached Zen, showing concern after running off, feeling lost as well as worried that her friend was having a mental breakdown.

"Are you alright, I talked to Pyrrha Nikos minutes after you left the training room, she said that you appeared to be upset yet happy at the same time.

Does this have to do with your new found memories?"

"They do Penny. But right now, I need to speak to Ozpin about this, privately.

Once I'm finished we can either go back to training or explore the rest of Vale, I don't feel like going to any lessons after what just happened. For now however, you can relax, everything will be fine once I'm done with this."

"Alright, I'll be in our dorm. When you're done we can decide what to do."

With that he gave her a small hug and watched as she followed behind the general, Ozpin's conversation with him ending roughly the same time as Zen's own.

Once the elevator doors closed and the sound of the motor began to hum, Ozpin pressed a button on the nearby elevator controls, a _do not enter button_ flashed on as his finger left its position .

The headmaster then returned to his seat and gestured for Zen to approach, allowing him the floor to speak.

"I'm listening."

"Well the thing is sir. Is, well- I'm not from around here."

"Oh, so you hail from one of the other three kingdoms?"

"No, sir. I don't hail from Mistral, nor Vacuo or Atlas. Sir I'm not from Remnant at all. As difficult as it is to accept, I'm from a world called Earth."

Ozpin maintained his composure not phased at all by what he was hearing.

 _That answers a few questions at least._ The professor thought to himself.

"So how were you able to travel from _Earth_ to Remnant... all with a fiery aftermath?"

"That sir, I'm not quite sure of myself.

I just remember going to bed, sleeping and then waking up to find myself in the streets of Vale."

He paused for a long while, Ozpin said nothing, waiting for what Zen might say.

"Now, I need to ask. Were there any major events that took place within the last few weeks or so? I need to understand whether or not I have a chance?"

"There was the Grimm invasion that happened from underground. It occurred just before the students were ready to break for the two weeks off.

But what do you mean by _chance_ exactly?"

"Well, first off, I want to prove to you that what I am going to discuss is not a ploy of any sort, so I will give context to what you already know.

Now, I'm sure that not many people knew that the invasion was spawned from a runaway train being used by the white fang, whose base was situated under mountain Glenn. This base of operation was being led by Roman Torchwick...I assume he is in custody on Ironwoods personal ship, isn't he?"

Ozpin nodded in response listening without even taking a sip of coffee, still maintaining his stoic expression.

"The team that stumbled upon the base was team RWBY, led by Doctor Oobleck correct?

And the only reason they were there was because you bent the rules to authorise them to be assigned a mission there. You deemed them capable of the task, also they were determined to catch Torchwick and whoever else schemed with him."

Zen began pacing as he thought how he would explain everything. One thought popping into his head and he swivelled to face the headmaster.

"How much time is there before the Vytal festival begins?"

"In exactly 10 weeks starting from next week." Ozpin replied.

 _10 weeks, I hope that is adequate time. I don't have an option._

"Alright where to begin?" Zen said aloud, massaging his temples.

"Do you remember the night of the school dance, where Ruby Rose saw and confronted a perpetrator in the CCT room?

How she wasn't too sure as to what she was doing there?

Well, the person in question is Cinder Fall, the same person who attacked the autumn maiden.

She's posing as a student of Mistral, along with Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai and Neo.

What she did during that night was upload a virus that allows her total access to the CCT tower as well as any useful intel she can acquire, including whatever is added to your desk files... internally or externally."

" I was just speaking to the general about that. He claims that the team investigating if the CCT's software and hardware had been tampered with from that night. They came back with no evidence to suggest that there is a foreign program in the system."

"Well the _black queen_ virus is there, and it has access to all major systems within Vale."

"I see, well is there anything else you wish to explain."

"I will, let's talk about the Vytal festival, or rather the tournament itself, it's split into three days correct?"

"Correct."

"So for the first day of the tournament the following events play out.

One of the very first matches will be team RWBY versing team ABRN, the former winning the match. Team JNPR follows after being several minutes late, taking on team BRNZ, again the former wins. By the afternoon there is a fight that takes place with team NDGO and team SSSN, the latter winning by electrocuting the entire opposing team while standing in a watery biome."

"What about Cinder and her team? I imagine they also make it into the next round?"

"You are right about that.

There is also an altercation that occurs just outside the courtyard between Qrow Branwen and Winter Schnee, possibly an hour after the match I described to you.

Once you resolve the issue and you return to your office, there will be a discussion with regards to the Atleasian army.

This will prompt Ironwood to display a holographic projection of the army hovering over Vale, interfacing with your desk to do so, thus giving Cinder the access to all the information on Ironwoods scroll, including details about Penny."

'Miss Polendina?"

"I'll get to that part later.

On day two, Weiss Schnee will sacrifice herself in the match between Neon Katt and Flynt Coal, allowing Yang Xiao Long to win the match for her team.

Then there will be a match, which has been determined by Cinder between Emerald and Mercury against Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi. Where Mercury will beat the latter and Emerald will use her semblance to fool the former.

By the afternoon you request that Pyrrha Nikos be present in your office. You ask about her favourite fairytale.

After which you proceed to tell her about the maidens. She will proceed following you and the rest of your small organization to the Vault located under the academy, to where Amber is being held in a stable condition. Telling Pyrrha that she has a choice to become the next autumn maiden.

The final match of the night is a singles match which again was selected by Cinder. Where Mercury and Yang are 'randomly' selected to compete, she wins after delivering several blows.

But under the influence of Emerald's illusions, she believes that Mercury is about to strike her, she retaliates accordingly.

But, from an outsider perspective Yang is the one who attacks him outright... causing Grimm as far out as mountain Glenn to sense the uncertainty, fear and hostility amongst the spectators."

Zen said, shutting his eyes before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"Then we get to the third day...where everything that matters happens.

Team RWBY is disqualified after last night's events.

The match that will initiate the beginning of the end will be chosen by Cinder.

It will be between Pyrrha and Penny.

Each combatant on par with their skills, however with the weight on her shoulders Pyrrha was going into the match feeling uncertainty.

When Penny prepared to launch her swords at Pyrrha, Emerald made it appear as if hundreds of swords were hurtling towards her.

And so she used her polarity to repel the blades, the force of the blow sent the blades back towards Penny, the tethers entwining around her...and... caused her robotic body-t-o b-be t-torn apart..."

Zen finished his sentence abruptly, he could no longer hold back tears that began to stream down his cheeks.

"Robotic body? Mr Discovery, are you telling me that Miss Polendina is an android of some sorts...?!"

"Y-yes sh-she is. The first synthetic person capable of generating an aura." he said as he regained his composure.

"And the general knows about this?"

"He holds himself accountable after its revealed to everyone in the stadium."

"..."

"It is at this point that all emotions within the stadium are running high, causing all Grimm to converge upon Beacon and the stadium, Cinder then broadcasts to the entire world that all of these events are your doing as well as Ironwood's.

When the transmission ends, a level 9 Grimm invasion alert is sounded just before a large nevermore breaks through the shielding of the stadium while it is being evacuated.

As the invasion begins, the White Fang join the attack as well as send multiple bullheads loaded with Grimm into the chaos.

Meanwhile Roman is set free and takes command of Ironwood's ship and with the use of the black queen virus, gains full control over the Atlesian knights and paladins, commanding them to attack those defending Beacon.

With all your resources running thin, you make one last attempt at tipping the balance...finding Pyrrha and transferring Amber's aura into hers. It seemed to be working, until Cinder kills Amber and absorbs the remaining half of the maiden's powers.

Pyrrha tries to retaliate but you tell her to find Qrow, Glynda, Ironwood anyone who can help fight Cinder. As they run off you stay behind to stop Cinder. Your attempt fails and you die."

Zen said, his voice becoming slightly fiercer as he mentioned Ozpin's death, thinking what pain one would experience while being burned alive.

"The last thing that occurs is Pyrrha attempts to fight Cinder, as this happens a Wyvern Grimm is awoken from the depths of mountain Glenn, only adding more Grimm into the mix, before slamming into Beacon's tower, disabling the CCT causing all communications between the kingdoms to go dark.

The final moment I should note is that Pyrrha loses, not only the fight but her life, just as Ruby reaches the top of the tower to try and save her...witnessing Pyrrha taking an arrow in the chest, before being turned into ashes."

Zen's eyes started to well up again as he sat down and buried his head in his hands.

The room was silent before Ozpin finally spoke.

"With what you have told me I should contact General Ironwood to make an arrest."

"No. You can't do that!"

"Do you not wish for Cinder and her group to be held accountable for the atrocities they have committed, or rather they will commit."

"Of course I do."

"So why don't you want me to take action then Mr Discovery? Seeing how distraught you are after what you have just described to me, it would be foolish to ignore this."

"Because if we do act now, I'm not sure if that will guarantee the safety of everyone present at the Vytal festival.

I have no way of knowing what may happen if we prevent her actions. Cinder may have a contingency plan if things were to go wrong for her.

But here however, everything is laid out for me..."

He thought for a moment before explaining himself.

"What is the most important strategy in chess?"

"..."

"It's not knowing what the best move to make is. But rather knowing the move your opponent will most likely make. Ozpin the board is here, the pieces are set and the game is in play...it's my time to make a move."

"I see. Well, given your explanation of everything, I find it difficult to believe you would make up something as detailed as this. And that it is better to have a fighting chance when you know what's coming, rather than having to face the unknown.

I will allow you to do what you think will be possible to prevent these events from unfolding.

However you will need to be ready when the time comes to take action. And you will need to equip yourself with your own weapons...I take it you know that Miss Rose has a knack for weaponry, I suggest you start there.

As for your lessons I will inform the staff to delay your study without trying to give anything away, the less people know the better, and take care not to mention any of this to anyone alright."

"Yes sir." Zen said, getting up to leave.

"Oh and Mr Discovery."

"Yes sir?"

"I hope you know what you are doing." he said, his tone having an air of concern. _._

"I do sir, it's getting the chance to stop the fall of Beacon from happening." he said as he pressed the button to the elevator.

 _I hope you will Mr Discovery... I hope you will._ Ozpin thought to himself as he watched the elevator doors close, he got up from his seat and gazed through the window that looked out towards Mountain Glenn, slowly drinking his still hot coffee.

* * *

 ** _What's this, another chapter, just a day or two after the last?_**

 ** _Well I wanted to try to give this as some sort of holiday gift, two chapters at once, but I couldn't, so i decided to do it before the end of December (it is now 2:32am NYE here as I write this).  
_**

 ** _So yay, Zen finally knows everything before the incident._**

 ** _Will note that the line about chess come from a quote by Stephen Fry: " There is a chess rule, you know in chess, the best move to play in chess is not the best chess move, but the best move is the move your opponent least wants you to play."  
I changed it so it fitted with the story.  
_**

 ** _That was it, hope you enjoy this chapter, will see you for another soon.  
Have a good one._**


	10. Chapter 9

_So Ozpin believed everything I said, why? What's more, he has that much faith in me, he is willing to put everything on the line because of my rambling._

 _Perhaps he was convinced after I told him about Pyrrha's involvement with the fall maiden, he could have already considered her as the ideal candidate for the role. And telling him that she will agree to his plan was all he needed to hear._

 _But then again... who's to say the Fall of Beacon will even come to pass?_

 _I mean, from Oobleck's class room, Beacon tower and the dorm room looking the way they do... To those I've met and talked to, sounding and acting as I have known them, without having met them in real life until recently._

 _After using my semblance ,or whatever it is, and seeing those other dorm rooms._

 _They must be alternate versions of Remnant. At least that's what Penny implied when she saw the first world I opened a portal to._

 _Going by what she meant, that would mean I possibly have the ability to travel anywhere in the universe or, multiverse... creating portals leading to anywhere I choose.. If that is true... could the events play out here as how I've described them from the Remnant I remember._

 _I should perhaps focus on the fact he trusts my judgement for now._

 _Despite being the least capable of changing anything._

 _But, if Ozpin is giving me the opportunity to prevent this, then I can't afford to let him down... I won't let any harm come to a single innocent person on the account of my inability to at least attempt halting Cinder's plans, directly or indirectly._

Zen thought to himself, his mind processing everything after conversing with the headmaster, as he made his way back to the dorm room.

 _Then there's Penny. I can't tell her anything about the fall of Beacon, no matter how desperately I want her to know what I might need to do to stop it._

 _If I told her, perhaps she would understand how to prevent this better than if I were to undertake the challenge alone?_

 _Or if I were just to mention a few key moments that happen as well as what we were up against she could possibly train me in the skills I need to combat Cinder.. even though the champion of Mistral couldn't even stop her._

 _But what if I were to tell her and it backfires... I really have no way of telling how she'd respond._

 _I guess if I do tell her anything, it will have to be made up half truths, especially after how I just reacted to finding this all out for myself. I'll need to tell her something..._

Arriving in front of the dorm, Zen slowly opened the door, only to find Penny pacing back and forth, she stopped when she noticed him out of the corner of her eye. Instantly turning to face him.

"So how did the discussion go?" she said, still appearing with a worried and concerned expression as she approached him.

"It went better than I expected really. Ozpin is pleased that I have recovered from my amnesia, and after some considerable time discussing my options, I will continue my lessons.

But there is a probability that I may be involved in the Vytal tournament.

In order to prepare for that, I will need my own weapon as the one's I'm using won't be adequate for what I need to do."

"So, what you're saying is that there could be a chance you'll compete in the Vytal festival?"

"To some extent yes..." Zen replied, feeling guilty that he couldn't explain himself fully.

"And you know about making your own weapon?"

"No not really. Ozpin suggested that I speak to Ruby about that as she has a ' _knack´_ for weapons."

"He did? Well that's not too surprising. I have her number, so if you want I can arrange a time so you two can talk about this."

"Actually Penny. I'll wait and talk to her face to face tomorrow.

Given that she appears to have nearly the same timetabling as me, apart from one or two subjects that is.

It should follow that she'll have a break in the afternoon. If we do have the same break time, I'll take the opportunity to talk to her then.

If not, I'll have to try to talk to her at the end of classes. I know we have a training session in that break time, but hopefully our discussion will be quick, I still haven't thought of what to say when I do see her.."

"Speaking of training, did you want to go back to the sparring room?" Penny replied with a slight hesitant tone.

"I think I'll go to my lesson. Your training is just as important as my own, and I don't want to stop you from succeeding in your own lessons at the expense of missing my own as well."

"Okay, but are you sure you're alright?"

"What I had...was an outburst of emotions, memories I've lived with, coming back to me...I'm not sure if how I responded was natural, but it needed to happen the way it did. I'll be fine."

"Wait!" Penny said, as Zen went to grab his pack and make his way out. "Before you go, I want you to be honest with me...is everything really fine?"

"Penny, you are my friend, one of my only friends here at Beacon, I am perfectly fine. It just... feels good to know where you are in the world after being lost in it for a week or so."

"Well if that's how you feel, I won't ask any more questions.

There's also one more thing I want you to do before you go however.

I want you to try something," she said as she produced one of her swords, unlatching it from its' tether, handing it over, much to Zen's confusion." Before we think about getting you a weapon, I want you to try using your semblance with mine. Now, imagine the training room, and try producing a portal that will open up to it."

Zen nodded to her request, then focusing all his thoughts to the room in question, he raised his arm up and moved the blade in the diagonal motion he used to produce every portal he had created previously...nothing happen.

He took a deep breath and thought again about the training room and it's layout, moving his arm slower than before... still nothing happened. He tried another three or four times before returning the weapon to Penny with a defeated expression, voicing his unsuccessful attempt."

'Well that was a great exercise..."

"Actually, that was quite useful to know."

"What do you mean exactly? Would you care to enlighten me on why I just did that?"

"Don't worry about it for the moment. You should probably go to your lesson now. There's still time before it starts, it's always best to be early." As he opened the door, he turned to her before closing it behind him.

"Thank you Penny...thank you for being my friend, I'm glad that you've been so kind with me in my time of being at my lowest." he said giving her an enthusiastic grin. And with that, he headed off to his afternoon lessons.

The rest of the day played out as normal until the next morning.

Zen's first class was history, and with what Ozpin said yesterday, the lesson seemed to fly by as he couldn't stop thinking about how he was going to ask Ruby to help him, without mentioning the reason why.

His mind wandered so much that he nearly fell out of his seat, being startled by Oobleck's distinctive voice dismissing the class.

"And that's all the time we have for today... Mr Discovery, could you please stay behind, there is something we need to discuss."

When the room was devoid of anybody other than the doctor and Zen, the former closed the door before turning to face him.

"I have been informed by Professor Ozpin that important, personal matters have come up recently for you.

And these matters in question may affect your study time outside of classes, which could also hinder your work on assignments and exams.

So to make sure you are able to resolve these problems as well as not worry about lesson marks for this subject, I have made the following condition. As long as you can provide adequate notes that you have taken during my lessons, demonstrating that you know the subject material, I can give you a passing grade. Would you say that is a fair compromise Zen?"

"Thank you sir, that does sound like an excellent compromise."

"Well it's good to see you're not objecting to the idea, so I'm sure you'll do find. Oh and I hope that a solution can be found for the problem you are facing."

"The solution will take time, but if it works well.. then everything will be alright. Again, thank you sir, for doing this for me... I'll see you in the next lesson." Zen said, as he exited the classroom.

The rest of the morning lessons came and went just as quick as history, the same scenario played out, where Zen was exempt from exams and assignments, but had to show he was paying attention. By the afternoon, Zen found himself in the library, and so was Ruby.

Meanwhile, Penny had finished her private training lesson and was now heading in the direction of the headmaster's office.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she wasted no time, addressing the professor before he could even welcome her in.

"Pardon me sir. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Of course Miss Polendina. What exactly did you need to speak to me about?"

"Well it's about Zen and what happened yesterday. Specifically the conversation he had with you. I'm sure he told you that he had regained his memories?

"Mr Discovery did tell me this, just before you and general Ironwood arrived moments later."

"And, this conversation and its contents are between you and him...however... he did tell me that during your talk, he is apparently attending the Vytal tournament, and I don't mean he is spectating."

"Yes that is correct." Ozpin replied in a somewhat slow manner, piecing together what Zen might have said to her from their conversation. Also being careful not to express his concern of addressing Penny, who he no longer saw as a student of Atlas, but an artificial being...who's life was on the line if her friend failed.

"And you said he'll need his own weapon in order to compete?"

"Also correct."

"Well, if that is going to happen, I think there's something you will need to know before Zen goes out and acquirer's his own weapon...".

 _Hmm. I still have time before Weiss' study session, better get something to eat or I'll never get the chance._ Ruby thought to herself. Remembering the last time she studied with Weiss, the pair studied for three hours straight, only taking bathroom breaks... _and no snacking_.

The idea of repeating the same one on one study session prompted her to grab the note books she had and began stuffing them into her satchel before standing up to leave.

Zen sat several meters away, jotting down notes from the previous lesson, glancing up to see the caped hood wearer leaving, her scroll still on the desk she was at moments ago.

She was already out in the corridor by the time he grabbed the device and turned to follow.

Once he was out of the library, there was no sign of her. But as he looked to his right, he noticed that the floor of the corridor had a trail of rose petals.

 _Wow she's quick, I was only a few seconds behind her. Whelp, just gotta follow the trail I guess._ He thought to himself as he slid the scroll into his pocket and inspected one of the petals, which were real as could be.

"...I'll take the six inch sub thanks." Ruby said, handing the vendor the exact change. Once she was given the sandwich, she turned to leave before the usual thought came to her.

 _I wonder if Weiss wants anything?_

 _I'll see and I... wait where is it. Why can't I find anything when I need them the most._

Thinking to herself as she frantically searched for her scroll.

"I'm sure I had it after last lesson, so where is it...wait, the library!" She said aloud, panicking slightly.

 _Really, how could you forget, you were just there._ She thought to herself as she retraced her steps, keeping her head pointed down, her mind beating herself up for misplacing the device.

 _Of all the days, why did I have to lose my scroll today._

She just was about to start running along the corridor, but as she looked up, she was lucky at that moment to do so. If not for her semblance kicking in, she would have collided with the person walking in the other direction.

He quickly looked back and forth, surprised at where she stood in front of him before hand, the mass of red passed by him, rematerialising back into Ruby behind him afterwards.

"S-sorry about nearly colliding into you." She said as she stood face to face with the boy she nearly ran into.

"Hey, you're Zen aren't you? I'm Ruby by the way. " she said, giving a nervous, yet friendly smile. Zen gave the same expression as he spoke.

"Yep, that's me, and it's nice to finally get the chance to meet you Ruby... hey, has anyone ever told you have-"

"Silver eyes? I've gotten that from quite a few people."

"Actually I was going to say a cool semblance, I'd imagine it's great to avoid getting out of awkward situations, if not for the trail you leave behind that is. Which is actually handy since I needed to find you, and return this to its rightful, hood wearing owner."

"My scroll!" She exclaimed as he produced the device from his pocket.

"I was reviewing my notes and glanced up just as you were leaving, I noticed that you left your scroll on the table. Was going to call out to you that you forgot it...but you know how mad librarians get when you do something like that... _heh-heh."_ he said, rubbing the back of his neck, handing it back to her.

"But going back to what you thought I was going to say. I guess you could say that those silver irises of yours are quite _eye catching._ "

"Have you been talking with my sister, Yang Xiao Long? Because only she could come up with a pun that bad..." she said, sighing yet laughing as she closed her eyes and slightly shook her head. After the moment passed, she glanced away, thinking to herself before turning to talk to him.

"Listen, I know this is a little awkward but I wanted to ask you if you're alright?"

"I'm doing good. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you always seem to be alone in the classes that we're in, and since you are from another kingdom transferring to Beacon, it can be hard to deal with. I can understand that the feeling of isolation doesn't really sit well and I was just seeing if you wanted someone to talk to, a friendly initial start to Beacon if you like."

"Actually I wouldn't mind that, I've noticed how I seem to get looks from everyone in class, but maybe I'm just being weird about it, and the only person I've had some interaction with was when I sparred with Jaune Arc, I've been told he is a friend of yours."

"Yeah he is. And as for everyone else, think nothing of the looks they give you. It's probably the fact that everyone is on edge for end of year exams and the coming Vytal tournament. They'll take anything in order to relieve themselves of stress, even if it means acting irrationally to students from other kingdoms."

"So-"

"Salutations friend Ruby."

Just as Zen was about to speak, Penny stood next to the pair, appearing out of nowhere,

"Hi penny. What are you doing here? I thought you had your own private lessons that take up most of the day?"

"Oh, well I was on my way to see if Zen had spoken to you, and see if he was ready for his training, so are you ready to go Zen?"

"Wait a second. You two know each other?"

"Of course. He's my friend and I've been giving him lessons on how to improve himself in combat. He's my teammate.

 _ **Hiccup**_

That's cool. So how's being on a team with Penny?"

"She's awesome, me on the other hand, still have a lot to learn."

"And what about fighting" What type of weapon do you use in your training?"

"Actually that's what I was going to talk to you about. I've heard you're an expert when it comes to making and designing weapons, so I was wondering if you could help me build my own...?" Zen trailed off, feeling like he should have talked to her more before being so direct. As if he was using Ruby without really getting to know her a little bit more.

"..."

"Ruby?" Penny asked, feeling a little worried by her silence.

"Of course I can help.! This is going to be awesome!" Ruby exclaimed with a large smile on her face.

"So when did you want to meet up?" Zen said, slightly uneasy by how happy Ruby appeared, a new excited, enthusiastic energy seem to wash over her. as she spoke.

"Well, we can do it in three or four days from today as I have work with my teammates on several things.

But once that is out of the way. We can go make your weapon.

I'm sure on that day we'll have different lessons, but you can come to our dorm to meet up and then we'll spend the rest of the afternoon in Vale looking for a weapon for you. After that we can-"

Just as Ruby was about to continue, she was cut off by the sound of her scroll, as she opened it, her eyes widened.

"Weiss! I'm late for our studying session, I've got to go. I'll let you know when we can get together, nice meeting you Zen.." Ruby's words trailed off as the floor of the corridor was carpeted with rose petals.

"Well that was a thing." Zen said, looking at Penny, who slightly giggled at Ruby's dignified exit.

"Let's go and work on your training." She replied as the two headed for the sparring room.

"Hi Weiss, sorry I'm late..."

"And where were you for you to be so late." she said, anticipating a long winded excuse.

"I was talking to Penny and -"

"You know this is the second time we've done something together, but it Penny has influenced you and changed our plans.."

"Weiss, it sounds like you're a little jealous, of your BFF status being challenged." Ruby slightly grinned, nudging the ice queen with her elbow.

"Me jealous? Of course not, rather annoyed that it's quite easy to get you distracted. Now, are you going to sit down or do I have to use my glyphs?"

Ruby complied without hesitation.

One thing Weiss knew that would always convince Ruby to focus was the threat of using her glyphs. From using time dilatation to stop her from running away, to placing a glyph wall to trap her in place...Ruby could not compete against the plethora of abilities Weiss possessed.

The next day, Zen and Penny were surprised when they woke up, Ozpin had requested to see the two of them before the start of their separate lessons.

"Hello Miss Polendina, Mr Discovery, I have informed your respective teachers that your presence in their classes will be delayed since you will be here for quite some time with me.

Miss Polendina, have you received any word from your teammates?" the headmaster said, beckoning them to sit.

"Well yes and no sir, two of them have confirmed their arrival in Vale, but I have not heard from the last."

"Well, I can confirm that your third teammate has contacted me in the early hours of the morning with regards to their status in travelling to Vale. I'm afraid that one of their family members have become ill and therefore they won't be able to compete in the Vytal tournament."

"..."

"Now, I'm sure you are aware that all teams competing in the Vytal tournament must consist of 4 students that make up said team to represent their academy, if they can't, then they are disqualified from attending."

However.. it appears you do have a substitute. Mr Discovery, what would you say to the idea of becoming a huntsman on Penny's team, competing in the Vytal tournament?"

"I accept." he said without hesitation, looking at Penny before addressing the headmaster.

"What will I be required to do?"

" You will have the same duties as you have currently, training with Miss Polendina, studying alongside my students as normal.

Another part of being huntsman in training means that you will be accompanying your team on various missions, these can range from simple scouting missions, to combating the Grimm, in order to protect the citizens of Vale.

You will be paid for each completed mission you go on."

"Wait, so we'll be earning Lien for this?" Zen replied, slightly surprised.

"Certainly, how else are you going to resupply yourself with ammunition for your weaponry." the headmaster smirked.

"Now, missions won't start until after the initial week of lessons have ended, so, the middle of next week is when missions will commence.

Now, I understand you have been training very hard this past week or so. And from what Miss Polendina says about your abilities to fight, you are quite capable of looking out for yourself.

You should be able to go on missions without too much trouble.

That being said, Miss Polendina is the team leader, she will be paired with you as your teammate. Given that you still are unable to produce an aura to protect yourself, she will be by your side if any dangers that may arise during your missions."

Penny looked over at Zen, she felt glad that they were pair together, but worried by the thought of Zen being in a situation where he could not protect himself and may possibly be harmed.

Zen thought along a similar line of reasoning, possibly being the one who might cause them to fail a mission due to his skills compared to his teammates, along with being the most vulnerable person on the team.

"Were there any questions either of you had for me?"

"No sir." Zen said.

"Miss Polendina?"

"None whatsoever." She replied.

"In that case, you are both dismissed and you can return to your lessons."

"Well, it looks like I might become a huntsman in training for real this time." Zen said to Penny before going to his class .

Penny stood in the foyer for a minute or so contemplating at what Zen said, before going to her training lesson.

 _Yes, a huntsman in training, facing genuine threats. Remnant can be dangerous place. If I can protect Zen from those dangers, then I can save the world when the time comes._

* * *

 __

 **And here we are, got this chapter done...thought it would be a short one, but I guess not.**

 **Hope you like it,  
Looking forward to the next (which is defintely going to be a long one).  
**

 **Will see you then.**


	11. Chapter 10

_**So there is quite a lot right here so this is a brief message.  
The follow 3 chapters are just one chapter, but broken into 3 parts (sicne there would have been 10K in total).  
All uploaded at the same time, so once you finish this one, go to the next...whenever you're ready that is. Got a lot to say at the very end,so you'll find that in part 3/3. **_

_**So here is,**_

 _ **Forging A Weapon**_

 _ **Part 1/3**_

* * *

Time: 10 Weeks Until the Vytal Festival

Location: RWBY Dorm Room

"That test Professor Peach gave was intense, I might have to go into therapy to ever recover." Yang cried out in the most dramatic tone she could come up with as they entered their dorm room, the rest of her team following behind her.

"I found it to be actually one of her quite lenient ones, even enjoyable to be honest.

It's a nice change we can talk about astronomy for once and not do biology. One more time I hear about Mitochondria, someone is getting frozen in place. " Weiss retorted, sighing heavily as she threw her satchel onto her desk.

"We all can't be graced with an unfair advantage of living in the icy north of Atlas for most of our lives. Where nearly all of the observatories within Remnant are primarily located Weiss." Said Blake, making a bee line for the bookshelf placing her bag next to her bed, then laying down on it, eyes glued to where she had left off.

"Well it's over with now, and we have the rest of the afternoon to do absolutely whatever we want to.

At least you guys do. I have to get ready to go out." Ruby replied as she placed her bag atop her bunk, going to the nearby wardrobe. Grabbing her combat skirt so she could change out of her uniform.

"Why are you going out?" Weiss asked as she sat at her desk, pulling out notes from its draw, getting ready for another upcoming test in a few days.

"I was to meet up with Penny and Zen to-".

"Zen? That new guy who rarely talks to anyone and always seems to be kept in class once the lesson is over?" Yang replied, an eyebrow raised. Something felt _odd_ whenever she saw him.

"He's not that bad, he usually talks with Penny, they're teammates. Apparently she's been giving him private lessons to improve himself in fighting.

So he can't be that bad if he is dedicated to bettering his abilities.

Plus Zen might just be a little nervous talking to others, just like how I was when I started Beacon." Ruby replied, sensing the hesitant tone from her older sister.

As Weiss was about to interject, a firm nock could be heard at the door.

"That sounds like him."

 _Peach's test did take longer than I thought._

Ruby went to the door and partially opened it, then opening it wide to allow the newcomer through.

"Hiya Zen, sorry, but we had a test with professor Peach and we just got in a minute or so ago.

I'll just go and change out of my uniform. Have you met my teammates, Weiss, Blake and Yang...I'll be a few minutes and then we can go."

Ruby grabbed her clothes and made a dash for the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her, not wanting to keep him waiting.

E _specially when it came to hanging out with Penny as well._

"So what are you three going to be doing in Vale?" Blake asked, cutting through the silence as she turned the page of her book, eyes reconnecting with the next sentence.

"Well, we're going to hopefully build me my own weapon.

I've been using the training room one's since I got here, but they wouldn't suffice once I face actual Grimm. Penny told me that Ruby is an expert when it comes to designing and building weapons, so I thought to ask her for her help."

Weiss turned around from where she was seated as she could sense Yang was looking in her direction, the pair made eye contact, then she proceeded to speak.

"So you've never encountered Grimm before? What did you have in mind, if you don't mind me asking, for your weapon that is?"

"Not too sure at the moment, possibly a pair of swords similar to the ones I've been using.

But as for the secondary mode? I'll have to see what Ruby thinks what would work the best."

Zen said as he walked over to look at a nearby poster, ignoring the first part of Weiss' question.

"So you guys like the Achievemen do you?"

"Yeah, but when Brownman left, its felt kinda different."

"HAP HAP," Zen said aloud, startling everyone in the room, himself included.

"What was that?" Yang exclaimed, her eyes widened in confusion.

"Oh-uh nothing, I was just- looking at the new guy Jeremy and I-"

"You mean Rimmy Tim, right?" Yang said in a slow tone.

"Yeah, Rimmy Tim. When I saw him on the poster, I just thought, _HAP HAP_.

Isn't he known for that one really good song...what was it?" Zen said, his words trailing behind, trying to get Yang's train of thought somewhere else.

How could he have been so stupid? Just blurting out such a simple thing like that.

And if he said anything else, Yang would start to get suspicious, and he knew that if he squared off against the brawler now, he'd be bashed into a bloody paste.

"You mean T.O.P: Tower of Power?" Yang replied, still in her stern tone, not blinking as she locked eyes with him, her hands slightly forming a fist.

Just as she was about to take a step towards Zen and tower over him, Ruby emerged from the bathroom in her black and red attire, and a smile beamed across her face, segueing into the conversation at hand.

"You mean Tower of Pimps?"

With that, Yang's focus changed from one of apprehension to one of shock, glancing to Ruby's direction, her mouth partially agape.

"Ruby! Why and how do you know _that_ alternate version of T.O.P?"

An almost hurt expression appeared on Ruby's face as her older sister questioned the very idea of her sister listening to such a song.

"Whaat? As team leader, it is my sole responsibility to know exactly what team RWBY entertains themselves with at all times, making sure there is no FILTH" She said proudly, glaring towards Blake, who began to blush slightly and hid behind her book even more than she already was.

"Alright, I'm ready. Shall we get going?"

"Wait, shouldn't you bring Crescent Rose with you?"

 _Dammit why did I say that out loud!_

Zen could already feel his subconscious kicking at him. As Ruby was about to open the door, she turned around and blinked for a second. Then smiling, she ran back to the beds and grabbed her sweetheart down from the top bunk, holstering it to her back.

"Wait, how do you know about Cre-" was all the older sister managed to say, being cut off by Weiss before she could finish.

A look of confusion was plastered on Yang's face, still trying to process what he just said. She then glanced to her side, seeing that Blake also had a similar expression.

"Oh Ruby, since you are going out.

Could you stop by one of the SDC owned stores and pick up a standard box of dust?

My supply is running low and I don't have the time to go into Vale to purchase any.

I'll give you my SDC personnel card and you can use it to resupply your ammo too if you need it."

"Thanks Weiss, I won't lose this one, I promise."

"Alright. But just make sure you at least get the dust you dunce." The heiress said jokingly, handing the hood wearer a cobalt blue coloured card.

"Okay, NOW I'm ready to go.

Bye guys, we'll be a while, so I'll see you in the evening okay."

And with that, Zen and Ruby headed through the corridors of Beacon towards the airship dock, leaving a confused Yang, surprised Blake and an indifferent Weiss in their dorm.

"What just happened?" Yang said, still staring at the door.

How did _he_ know about Crescent Rose? The only people she knew for a fact that knew her sister's weapon by name were her teammates, Qrow and her Dad.

 _Perhaps Penny knew and just told him about it?_ _But the poster?_ Nobody knew about Rimmy Tim's real name, everyone knew him as Rimmy.

Even when he was at the first concert when he was initiated into the Achievemen with his friend Bratt Mag. As for the sudden outburst _'HAP HAP'?_ _What did that mean?_ Nothing as far as she knew, the dots just didn't connect.

"What just happened was your sister is going with a friend of her friend to build said friend a new weapon in the city, resupply herself with dust and pick some up for her teammate."

Blake replied, slamming her book shut, causing Yang to jump and turn around, fists at the ready, then lowering them just as quick.

"You're worrying about nothing, c'mon let's take your mind off the subject.

I need to head into the city as a new novel came out in the series that I'm reading, and I want to see if it is in stock.

Just give me a minute to change."

Yang watched as the bathroom door closed behind her teammate, then, she looked towards Weiss, pencil in hand not at all focused on everyone's talking.

"Do you think I'm over reacting Weiss? Do I over think things sometimes?"

Weiss sighed placing her pencil on the notebook and swivelled herself to address the blonde.

"You might do sometimes, I'm really not so sure of him myself, I've never known someone at this level of schooling without having seen a Grimm up close, it doesn't seem normal.

But Ruby is quite capable of looking after herself, plus she will have Penny with her, and she would run into an oncoming vehicle before harm would come to her.

Just let it go for now. The last thing you need is to stress everyone out, including yourself, especially with the Vytal festival around the corner.

Save that type of aggression for the fights when they come.

Oh, and as you can see I have my hands full. So it will be just you two, so have fun, alright."

Weiss replied, turning back to face the Everest that were her notes.

Once Blake had finished, Yang got dressed and the two of them headed towards the cliffside to catch the next airship, leaving Weiss to study in peace and quiet.

* * *

As their ship landed, Ruby and Zen were in the streets of Vale on a quiet afternoon, heading to where Penny had told them they would meet up.

Ruby turned to Zen giving a wide smile.

"So have you thought about the type of weapon you wanted to build?"

"Oh, I've had a few thoughts, but I've come down to this."

Zen said, producing a piece of paper and handing it over to Ruby. He had spent the previous night in the library, researching the best combinations of dust and metal for his weapon, sketching the design as well as the rough features and form that housed its internal workings. Ruby stared at it with fascination.

"Oooh, I think we can make something from these designs, maybe a few tweaks here and there, they're pretty well drawn. Do you double up as an artist or something?"

"Actually, I just draw in my spare time, kinda gets the creative juices flowing considering my mind is always thinking all the time.

To be honest those designs I made are due to my time working with diagrams, I wanted to become an engineer."

"Then why are you training to become a huntsman?"

"You could say the opportunity... fell upon my lap. Spontaneously."

Just as Ruby wondered what he meant, she saw the third member of their party come into view, and in excitement called out her name.

"Penny!"

"Ruby!"

 _Brace for impact Ruby._ The scythe wielder thought to herself.

And with that, Penny bear hugged Ruby with shear happiness, lifting her up a few centimetres off the ground as she held her.

She couldn't keep herself from smiling, two of her only real friends in the same place at the same time, no guards escorting her, absolute freedom, just the three of them.

Granted the reason to be here was necessary for Zen, but she didn't care.

They could be surrounded by a horde of death stalkers and it wouldn't matter to her in the slightest.

"Hey Penny? Why do you have the training swords I've practiced with strapped to your back?"

Zen said as he glanced behind her and saw the all too familiar weapons he'd been using thus far.

"Well. They're going to be used as the base for your weapon.

The day when we were planning this, I went to ask Ozpin if we could modify them to be used as your own weapons.

Since you have become accustom to them for combat.

Not to mention that little 'test' we did in our dorm, it seems that those swords act as conduits for your semblance.

And after talking with Ruby, we both thought it would be a good idea to modify these existing weapons as opposed to buying all the materials required to build brand new ones."

As Ruby led the way, Zen could see that she was resisting the urge of using her semblance to dart around, looking at all the weapons and modifications that were on display in some of the shop windows.

He could tell that though all these stores were enticing for the scythe wielder, Ruby was looking for a particular store and when they reached its entrance, he gave a small smirk as the big yellow words stood above him.

 _From Dust Till Dawn_

 _Fully Reopened_

Entering the shop, the owner gave the three a welcoming smile.

"Why hello Ruby, I didn't expect you to be here on such a nice afternoon.

I would have expected you to be off stopping yet another attack on Vale, or spending time in a combat arena, training with that Schnee teammate of yours.

"Hiya shop keep," as she was about to continue, Zen leaned in, whispering to her.

"Wait, you actually call him shop keep?"

"Yeah he's fine with it, apparently that's what everyone calls him."

Turning back to the man in question, Ruby responded to the man's question at hand.

'Well I would, except Weiss has a mountain of work to cover, plus I'm here with my friends.

And my friend here has an idea for a new weapon he'd like some help building, and was wondering if you have the internal parts, since we already have weapons to build with."

"Hmm, the design looks simple enough, I should have the right stuff, I'll just go get them."

"Oh and also, I was wondering if you could also add black and yellow dust to the list."

Zen turned to Ruby, puzzled.

"Gravity and lightning, why do we need those?"

"I heard about your condition, and thought that since you don't have an aura in general, I thought that we could infuse dust into your weapons.

Lightning will increase its ability to deflect incoming attacks provided you guard the strike in time, and gravity will improve the strength of the weapon itself and allow you to hold onto them, even if a tough blow comes your way."

"Hmm, never thought about it that way, guess that's what I get when I try to work on research so late at night, thank you Ruby."

"Don't mention it. Plus, the dust here is better than the ones they have at the SDC.

But don't tell Weiss that, her families' dust is good for ammo but not weapon's crafting."

As she finished talking, the shop keep returned with all the parts needed to make the modifications to the existing practice swords into the weapon of Zen's conception.

"Thanks, so how much is today's damages?"

"Well considering that I still am yet to repay you for stopping those thugs, consider this as a thank you, it's half price for the lot."

"Thanks, we'll be back to show you how the weapons look when we're finished."

"Actually, you may not have to go too far.

Since I was able to claim insurance on the damages to the store, I was able to create a workshop in the back for building and repairing weapons.

It's not open to the public, but as huntresses and huntsman to- be, you are more than welcome to use it."

When the trio went to the back of the shop, the room inside was quite impressive.

There were several rows of shelving stocked with tools, a workbench and what looked like a miniature furnace. It left all three of them speechless, or at least until Penny remarked to the old man at the sight of it all.

"That must have been some insurance policy you had."

And so, with the shop keep's approval, Ruby began to work diligently on the training room weapons, breaking them apart so that space could be made for the internal components as well as altering the metals' composition.

Once she had several pieces of the sword on the table, she proceeded to place the blades into the furnace, as they started to glow a dim red, Ruby pulled each one out, before placing them into a tray.

She then poured a yellowish powder on them, causing sparks to jump off surface when it made contact with the heated metal.

After which, they were placed back into the furnace and as it's door was closed shut, the muffled sounds of arcing electricity from within could be heard.

Next were the handles, the grips had been removed and all that was left were the metallic frames, Ruby applied the same heat treatment to the pieces, but this time she applied a black powder to them, as well as the blades.

Placing them back into the furnace, it began to creak and groan as the gravity dust activated and distorted the space within the chamber.

As the parts came out, they were immersed in water and left to rest for a while.

When Ruby deemed them safe to handle, she placed all the pieces on the work bench and began to use her weapons crafting skills, bringing the old pieces together with the new internal components the shop keep had supplied them with.

 _Meanwhile on the other side of Vale_

"I mean what is _that guy_ doing at Beacon? Yes he's at Atlas currently, but look at him, probably could be taken down by a single creep or boarbatusk. Even Jaune could win a fight against him."

"Yang. Remember how I said that coming out here was to take your mind off of Zen and Ruby?

You realise that this is the moment when you're supposed to be sidetracked...Also I think I remember Ruby saying that Jaune _did_ win in a fight against him."

Blake said, eyes focused on the words of her new book, as they walked down a busy shopping complex. For weeks now she had resorted to buying the book from here instead of her old destination.

"Alright, I'm sorry Blake, maybe you're right. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing. Call it a sisterly instinct if you will. So like you said, I need to get my mind off the subject...So, whatcha reading?"

"Well, it's about a man who wants to make a name for himself. But one night, passing a cemetery, he comes across a pair of grave robbers who are collecting their debt off of a dead man. He pays for the man's debt with his only savings. The next morning he comes across a stranger who-"

Blake ceased her movement, her bow twitching as she realised the sound of two sets of footsteps among many people became one, turning around to find where her teammate went.

She saw Yang standing a few meters away, in front of a news agency, eyes focused on one magazine in particular.

Her lilac eyes were widened as her focus did not budge. Even when Blake stood next to her, getting a glimpse as to what caused her friend to stop so suddenly.

The magazine was one of those celebrity magazines, and staring up at Blake, who had picked up the magazine to read it, was a photo of Rimmy Tim with a caption underneath that read:

 _HAP HAP, the new single from the Achievemen as new album is announced._

"Yang, this doesn't mean-... this doesn't mean anything. Sometimes new songs can get leaked and Zen was one of those people to know. Maybe he heard a rumour among a fan group?

Maybe he knows Rimmy personally?"

Blake looking at Yang, eyes trying to maintain a steady gaze as she thumbed through the pages looking for the main article, her breathing becoming a little more rapid, her nerves starting to act as they would do when she saw Yang in a fierce mood.

Arriving to the page in question, she began to skim the few paragraphs, suddenly her eyes widened, her stomach began to knot up and she slammed it shut, placing it where it belonged and walked towards Yang, not making eye contact. Her bow angled slightly forward as the ears underneath tried to lay flat.

"Blake what did it say in there?"

"..."

"Blake, did it say Rimmy Tim's real name in there? It was Jeremy wasn't it ?"

"..."

"It'd better not say Jeremy or I swear..."

Darting for the magazine, she flipped to roughly where Blake had been, skimming the sentences to find that one name.

"Excuse me, can you tell me how long you have had this magazine?"

Blake hastily asked the clerk at the register, hoping that the article was just old stock.

"That one? That's a special edition, just received them about half an hour ago.

Only just finished putting them out before you two came in."

 _'So now you fit in well with the lads, can you tell us what your real name is?_

 _Who is the man behind Rimmy Tim?'._

 _'I guess I might as well, since you guys bribed me with jerky, and I would've told people soon enough. The man behind Rimmy Tim is Jeremy, Jeremy Jooley.'_

Yang slowly put down the magazine, turning to Blake, eyes changing from their usual soft calm lilac to burning red.

"I'M GOING TO PULVERISE THAT GUY!"

Yang shouted, causing everyone nearby to either run in the opposite direction, or just stand and stare, waiting to see what she would do next.

Blake just keeping focus, if she knew anything about Yang, once she was set off, you could only stay close and watch the flames die down, no direct way of extinguishing it, just listen and watch.

She followed as Yang stormed off, trying to think of ways to stop her from killing him if he came back to the dorm with Ruby.

"What else does he know?

How did he know about Ruby's scythe?

Why does he get special treatment after class?

How can he be a huntsman if he has no aura to protect him?

How can he even be at Atlas without even owning a weapon?

How come he has never encountered Grimm at all?

And what does he want with my sister?!"

One thing was certain in Yang's mind despite thinking about all of this, when they got back to their dorm. She was going to beat the ever living shit out of that creep.

* * *

 ** _ _Omake:__**

 ** _"So where should we start then Ruby."_**

 ** _"Right this way. Zen Discovery it my duty to help you in getting a weapon and I will do so as your team leader of-"_**

 ** _"-Team leader? Since when and how are you team leader, and what team?"_**

 ** _"Okay, okay informal team leader of informal team PRZ."_**

 ** _"So in the span of a minute or two, you came up with a pseudo team name for the three of us, and you came up with_** ** _ ** _team praise_**?"_**

 ** _"Um, yeah. have never played around with a group of names and made them into an informal team?"_**

 ** _"Okay, how about you just take us to the store, also shouldn't by that convention make Penny the team leader, as usually the first initial in the acronym is the team leader's?"_** *


	12. Chapter 11

_**Forging A Weapon Part 2/3**_

* * *

"Aaand done."

With that, Ruby stepped back from the work bench, admiring her work.

Zen then lifted the weapons off the bench and let them sit in his palms.

The pair of swords that he held, which resembled a combination between a claymore and a knightly sword, no longer had a dull brass appearance across the entire length of them.

After Ruby had reworked the basic training weapons, its blades now shimmered a brilliant silver.

The base of the hilt had a bronze colour to it , while the worn, faded handle now had a jet black appearance.

He swung lightly, letting them cut through the air with speed, yet having the weight of the wielder behind it. They felt slightly heavier with the internal mechanisms then they did before being remade.

"I must say Ruby, if my father where here to see your handy work, he would hire you as his weapons technician in a heartbeat."

"Oh this, nah, this is pretty easy. Plus I did have Zen's designs to go off of, and that just made me finish up in no time at all."

As Ruby replied to Penny's compliment, she produced a red blanket, indicating for Zen to wrap his new weapons so they could take them somewhere else to test the secondary function.

Stepping out of the work room, she saw the shop keep turn around upon hearing the door open.

"I don't suppose you have a firing range underground or anything like that?" She casually joked, garnering a smile from the old man.

"I'm afraid not. But if I ever get robbed again and you're here to stop them, then I might just comply with that request."

"So where to now?" Zen asked in an energetic tone, as they walked along Vale's streets.

 _No wonder Ruby is such a weapons geek._ He thought, as he recalled how she reconstructed the weapons with ease and speed.

Seeing the pieces interlock and all come together in one seamless design which he now held onto, eager to test out their firing mechanism.

"It's that building just at the end of the street". Ruby replied, pointing in the general direction they were heading.

As the building grew closer, Zen could see the distinct snowflake emblem plastered just above the entrance.

Stepping inside was almost blinding, the entire interior had a brilliant white shine to it, resembling something of a clean room.

On one side of the room were a set of shelves lined with weapon parts, empty magazines and repair kits.

To the other was a set of various weapons on display in glass cabinets, each with hefty price tags next to them.

And finally, at the end of the building, which was sectioned off, was a counter and a pair of doors that went into another room.

 _That must be the firing range._ Zen thought to himself.

"Hello welcome to the SDC, how may I assist you today."

The three were welcomed by a woman in a white and grey uniform, who stood behind the counter.

"Hello. So my friend here has just built his first weapon, and we would like to test it on the firing range Could we get some inert dust for it please?"

"Certainly, which type did you require? Projectile or energy? Single shot, automatic or sniper...?"

"Uh, could we have several of each please? " Ruby replied. The woman then reached under the counter, grabbing the requested munitions.

The three were then gestured to follow through to the testing range.

"Inert dust?" Zen questioned as they made their way to the far end of the range.

"It is a form of dust that is used mainly for testing or situational training.

Where in our case, if a weapon wasn't properly built, there is little risk in the operator being harmed, think of it like a practice dummy, you can shoot your gun at it without having to worry about injuring someone."

Penny responded, seeing how Zen pondered over the idea of dust having a state of inactivity.

"Which you won't have to worry about cause IIIII built it."

Ruby said, as she turned to them, beaming with a large grin, her thumbs pointing to herself.

Once they were at their section, Zen placed his weapons on the nearby table and looked down at the target, roughly some 20 meters away, it was a holographic projection of a beowolf.

"Alright so how bout we test the single shot from the swords in their dual gun stage." Ruby said, now just look at what I do.

With that, Zen watched as Ruby motioned her arms with the weapons in hand.

Her grip tighten before raising them above her shoulders.

She brought them straight down, as she did so, she pressed a small button on either side of the rain guard of each weapon, causing the blade to tilt, forming the outer barrel of the gun with the central ridge splitting open, allowing for the fuller to be exposed, making it the inner barrel .

The cross guard closest to her knuckles formed the trigger guard, the trigger itself emerged from where the cross guard met the handle.

The other cross guard made a basic sight.

She then indicated to Zen that the lower half of the blade just in front of the trigger guard, revealing a space for a magazine to be loaded.

The entire act of her motion taking only as much time as it did for Ruby to flick her wrists to start it off in the first place.

"Okay, now it's your turn." She said as she flicked her wrists upwards, causing both weapons to return to their original primary form.

With that, he held the weapons tightly and mirrored her actions, almost startling himself when the weapons opened and made an audible mechanical click.

"Alight now all you have to do is fire it up..."

Ruby said producing a single dust round, before she face palmed at what she just said.

D _ammit Yang_

Once being shown how to load a single round, Zen raised one his weapons, focusing his attention to his right, closing one eye he matched the sight with the wolfs heart and squeezed the trigger,

An audible _**clink**_ could be heard as the round connected with its target's chest, the projection wavering a little before reforming the image.

Zen's arm jolted slightly, as if he were catching a fast moving tennis ball , looking down at his firearm and giving a small smirk.

 _Well it didn't explode... so that's good._ Thetable next to him began to display essential stats on the weapon and its performance.

From the expression Ruby and Penny had, Zen felt that the pair were happy with the results, despite Ruby giving a slightly smug appearance at the details regarding accuracy of the user.

"Alright so now we can test the true power of your swords...in their rifle form!"

Ruby shouted in a gleeful tone, contempt with how the well crafted weapons performed, Grabbing the other sword and gesturing for him to hand over the other.

Zen nodded, handing it to her.

Then, indicating a button in the middle of the hilt. she gripped the handles of both swords tightly and activated them to form their secondary function as they were moments ago.

Then squeezing button on the rain guard a second time, she lowered her left arm.

She then slid the tip of the right sword into the back of the left.

As this occurred, the lower halves moved forward, as did Ruby's left hand, moving the handle towards the blade and sliding it along the length of the blade, as it had become the fore-end used to steady the gun.

As it did, part of the bottom half of the blade near the trigger opened, so a magazine could be placed there, though this opening allowed for larger magazines to be used.

The upper half of the blade on the left sword remained fixed, while the right interlocked with the left, the base of the blade jutted outwards. The right handle remained as the grip and trigger,

Ruby stood there, beaming, then glancing over to Zen, who had blinked several times, confused as to how she did that so seamlessly

"Now it may look difficult, but you'll get the hang of it. The easy part is going from one rifle to two guns."

In saying that, Ruby pulled with her right, pulling the fore-end at the same time, until it resembled the handle for the left hand weapon. She then pull with her right, moving upwards as she did, when her right arm was at her side, she held the pair of weapons on either side of her. She repeated the act of flicking her wrists, and the guns became swords once more.

After two or three attempts, trying his best not to slice his fingers off, with Ruby's guidance, he held onto the third form of his weapon, a rifle, complete with a scope, which was hidden within the handle of the right hand sword.

 _And now it was time to fire it._

Being handed a magazine, which Ruby had produced seemingly out of nowhere, he slid it into place, pulling back on the charging handle, once it slid back into place, he squared up his target, focused the scope and squeezed the trigger.

It kicked back, causing Zen to flinch, his shoulder started to feel slightly uncomfortable from the force, but it quickly subsided as he readjusted himself.

He was then handed another magazine from Ruby, this time the munitions were energy based, or to be exact, the 'round' appeared to be a single dust crystal housed within a metal canister.

She smile before explaining the differences between the two types.

"These won't have as much kick as the projectiles, since they don't have much power behind them, but they do roughly the same amount of damage.

And you can fire a single cartridge multiple times before moving on to the next.

That being said, the projectiles are more effective at piercing the tougher hides, scales or exoskeletons of certain Grimm. The older the Grimm, the more likely a projectile round will take it out."

After firing several bolts of energy, Zen lowered the rifle, letting it rest in his hands, looking at Ruby and Penny, smiling with a look of amazement.

"This weapon is... AWESOME. And more importantly, this is my own, I have finally have a weapon.."

Was all he could say, as it clicked in his head that he had contributed in the design of this weapon, that, with the skill an expertise of Ruby, actually worked as it was planned out to be.

"Great. Now we can go and get you some much needed ammo for them."

Ruby said as she raced back into the shop, Penny and Zen following not too far behind.

"As part of my genius, I built the weapon in such a way that the ammo needed for it is the most cost effective for you.

The projectiles are not too costly but they have weight to them, so you may be limited to how many you can carry. But, they will do some damage to a Grimm as tough as a death stalker, if you ever run into one that is.

And as you felt them on the firing range, the energy cartridges are lighter compared to the projectiles, so it's good to have them on hand for missions that you may have to do on foot.

Plus, they have the added benefit of coming in a variety of dust types, each with different uses.

If you ever get the chance to see Weiss fight, you'll see what I mean.

As for effectiveness, you will be able to take down several beowolves all at once, with a well aimed shot that is."

She said as she took the necessary dust off the shelves, indicating to Zen the type and price.

"I guess you could say... _I'm getting a bang, for a buck._ "

Zen replied much to Ruby's expression as he began to utter the phrase.

"I left you with Yang for only two minutes and you've already picked up her ways."

As Ruby finished loading up on the types of ammo Zen needed for his weapon, she set her eyes on grabbing supplies for her own precious.

Once she was done, she headed for the counter, but before she could, Zen piped up.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Ruby?"

"..."

"To grab Weiss' ammo for Myrtenaster...you even made a note of it on your scroll before we got on the airship."

"Ohhh, right. I'd better do that shouldn't I? Last time I forgot that, she froze me in a block of ice, it was summer at the time, so actually that was pretty good to be honest."

As they went up to pay for everything, Zen half heartedly spoke up.

"I can't really pay for any of these Ruby, kinda short in the lien department."

She smiled and replied as she handed Weiss' card as well as some lien to the cashier.

"That's okay, you can pay me back once you've gone on a couple of missions.

But don't be in a hurry to pay me back. I'm good on money and it's pretty rewarding to see how well you like your new precious.

Trust me, the day I built crescent rose was one of the best days of my life.

First thing I did once I built her, was take on an entire pack of beowolves, she fought good then and she fights good now."

As they stepped out of the shop, the natural light of the sun almost blinded them, they went towards the food district of Vale as it seemed fitting. While they walked, Penny spoke up, since she had been quiet since the firing range.

"Zen, I've been thinking. Since you have no real aura to protect yourself in combat, how reliant are you on your skills to keep you safe? It's going to be a very different experience for you once we begin missions compared to that of the training room.

I think it would be wise to re-assess your look and purchase some attire appropriate for you, so that you are combat ready."

"Penny's right. If you're ever going to fight a Grimm, or another huntsman, most likely you will be either overwhelmed or outmatched by them.

Yah going to want to protect yourself better than you are right now.

I saw that fight with you and Jaune and I have to say, Jaune is... a light opponent to combat compared to other combatants.

She paused before looking up and down at him.

"And it wouldn't hurt to get you something more...good looking."

"What are you saying about the way I'm dressed?"

Zen retorted, thinking he looked pretty good in his get up.

"You're dressed as if you were going to give a lecture or attend a business meeting or something... "

Ruby laughed as she poked at Zen's shirt.

"Okay fine, I need a better combat uniform. Just point me in the right direction and we can see what they got." He said, in an energetic yet defeated tone, as the other two laughed at her joke.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Forging a Weapon Part 3/3**_

* * *

As they stepped into a store that sold armour and protective gear, Zen gestured to Ruby for her to find someone to help them, leaving himself and Penny alone for the time being.

"Hey Penny, could you do me a favour?"

"I can indeed. What was it you wanted?"

"You remember that cafe we were at the day we met? Do you know if they sold cookies?"

"I'm pretty sure they might, why do you ask?"

"I want to thank Ruby for what she did today. I know I already owe her, and you too for that matter, but I want to make a start at least.

And if there's one thing that Ruby loves more than her weapon...its cookies."

"Okay, I can do that. I'll be back as soon as I can, maybe I should take your bag so it frees you up to change?"

"Thanks Penny, I owe you again, and if she asks, the cookies are from both of us, alright?"

"Alright."

Once she exited the building, Zen went to find Ruby, going through the aisles until he found the black haired girl choosing between bronze armour and steel armour, weighing the options.

"Hmmm, I'm thinking the silvery colour would work better for you than bronze...wait, where's Penny?"

Ruby' said, her tone slightly panicked.

"Oh, she said she needed to buy something and she'd be back here as quick as she can."

"Okay, well what do you think about these?"

Zen looked at both types and after some consideration, he chose the silvered armour, then sifting through the various sizes until he found the right one, looking at it closely.

It's appearance slightly resembled Jaune's armour, with a few minor differences such as having engravings on its surface.

Giving Ruby his gun, Zen went to use the change rooms to see if it would fit.

But as he stepped inside, he immediately came out and dashed for one of the clothing racks, as something had caught his eye.

He was going to take Penny and Ruby's advice and dress to be combat ready.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the change room and was greeted by both girls who just stared, expressionless, then Penny broke the silence.

"I must say Zen, you definitely look very much to be combat ready.

What would you say to that Ruby?"

"Yeah! I gotta agree with Penny. You look like you could be ready for anything. But I have to ask, how does the armour feel and also. Why the hood?"

Zen stood there, clad in his new armour, it was underneath an overcoat that had a tan colour similar to Penny's outfit. He also wore jet black trousers that had metal shin and knee guards fastened around his legs, and draped on his back was a hooded cape almost identical to Ruby's, however, his appeared a forest green.

"Well, the armour itself is a bit cumbersome, but I'll get use to it, plus it's gonna keep me safe.

As for the hood, I wanted to be mysterious. You never know who's watching."

Grabbing his old clothes and stuffing them into the bag he was now carrying, the three proceeded to the checkout, where Penny offered to pay for Zen's goods.

As they left, Zen caught wind of the name of the store and its slogan:

 _Thank you for choosing to shop at Battle Pals- Where using protection really matters._

"You should really keep tabs on me Penny, at this rate I'll be owing you for the air I breathe."

The three of them chuckled as they headed towards the food district of Vale, without taking any detours this time.

Arriving at a noodle shop, Penny then said she was going back to the store they came from, as there was _something that gave her an idea._

She leftthe two alone to talk as they each enjoyed a bowl of spicy noodles.

"Penny is a great person, isn't she? We're lucky to have her as a friend."

Zen started off.

"Yeah, she definitely is one of a kind. It was funny when we first met, we just, ran into each other by accident, I called her friend, and that's how our friendship started.

Her personality at the time kinda made other people feel uncomfortable when she was around, maybe they thought she was weird.

My teammates pretty much avoided her for a while.

But in time, her kind, friendly and warm nature grew on them.

So much so that I've seen Blake talking with her for hours.

Blake is usually the quiet member of our team when it comes to talking to other people.

But she's not like that when Penny's around.

I think it was because Penny is quite perceptive and she knew about her- I mean, how to talk to her."

Zen listened intently, but his mind was deep in thought.

This was the best chance he'll have to talk to Ruby about the redhead.

 _Now would be a good time to do so._

"Hey Ruby, can I ask you something? I want you to be honest, and don't be alarmed when I ask you."

Ruby nodded while giving a small smile.

"The thing is, I know about Penny, or as someone else may put it, I know what Penny is...I know she is...- she is an android.

And really, I want to know how should I tell her. I want to be honest as her friend. Plus what if I accidently slip it out, not even thinking about what I might be saying."

Ruby's eyes widened dropping her chopsticks into her bowl, almost lost for words.

 _Penny was so scared to let anyone know, and even though Zen is her friend, it wouldn't be something she would be comfortable with sharing, not to mention how I only knew by accident._ Ruby thought to herself, finally responding to him after a few minutes of silence between the two.

"So how did you know? When did you know?"

"Well, I only came to the conclusion roughly a week ago, I think it was the day before we met in the corridor." Zen said, as his mind was busy at work coming up with a reasonable explanation as to how he knew other than simply saying _'Oh I remember her explaining to you she's an android after saving you from an oncoming truck'._

Once a minute of thinking passed, he finally spoke _._

"After getting acquainted with her a few weeks ago, I noticed one or two things that made me think, _'that's a little unusual of her to do that..'_ but I simply shrugged it off.

Thinking that it was just me being nervous while getting to know her.

When we shared a dorm room together, that's when I became a lot more perceptive about the things she said and did..."

He trailed off as he looked at Ruby, who sat there, she didn't appear angry or upset, instead she just listened and nodded.

He then continued.

"I, think that's all I wanted to explain.

Now, I want your help with regards to what I'm going to say to her about it.

She's done so much for me...apart from you Ruby, Penny really is the only other friend I have in all of Remnant.

A-and if I- tell her, I'm w-worried as to how she'd respond. B-but if I don't tell her and she were to f-find out somehow, I-I just don't think I could ever f-forgive myself for not telling her sooner...h-hurting her like that...d-destroying our friendship because of it."

He tried to say, as he felt a lump in his throat, dreading the thought of losing Penny as a friend.

"Hmm, after telling me all of this, I can see that Penny is someone very important to you, isn't she? Let me ask you something.

In the time before you found out about wha- who, Penny really is, how did you act around her?

How did you talk to her?"

"I-I acted around her, in the same way as how I'm acting with you right now, the same can be said with how I've been talking with you."

"And how do you feel about how you act around her after you realised? Do you feel like you talk to her less than you did previously?"Do you feel like you've changed how you talk to her? Have you become aware of what you say to her?

"I-I-I really can't say for sure, I don't really think about what I say to people, I focus on how I talk to them.

In the time we've gotten to know each other, I've learnt more about Penny's personal life than she has mine.

I've wanted to tell her about my life outside of Atlas academy, but there are good reasons why I can't. But does that mean I don't want to talk to her, of course not, I just think she won't understand..."

Zen trailed off, before realising what he was saying.

"In short, I feel like I haven't changed how I talk and act when it comes to Penny."

He said, staring at his reflection in the bowl.

"Well in that case. Just tell her when you're ready, she'll understand, just make sure to do it sooner rather than later.

In our short time together, I can tell that you are just as kind hearted and likeable as she is.

You've had a few weeks with her and she isn't going to run as a result of you telling her.

Nor do you have to worry about her going full attack mode on you either.

You'll do fine, I know you will. If anything, she'll probably feel relieved as she no longer has to worry about how you'd respond if you found out accidentally, like I did..."

 **"..."**

"Let's just say that, I found out because of that immense strength she has, saved my life once, and afterwards she explained to me who she is."

She gave him a comforting smile and patted him on the shoulder, as she did, Penny returned.

She appeared to be holding onto something which she hid behind her back, as she came closer she smiled when she saw how her friends were getting along with the conversation they were having... _whatever it was_.

"Hi Penny, how'd it go? Did you get what you wanted?" Ruby said in a nonchalant tone.

"Indeed I did. Zen, I was thinking.

Looking at you with your swords, I realised that your uniform doesn't really cater to holstering your weapons, so I bought you these."

Penny produced a pair of scabbards. They seemed to be made out of wood, yet appeared to have a metallic black colour to them.

She then gestured for Zen to attach the pair onto his back, and so he undid his hood.

And with help from Ruby and Penny, the holsters formed an 'x' shape, the one for his right side on top of the left.

He then proceeded in uncoupling his gun, returning them back into a pair of swords.

They slid in perfectly and didn't seem to rattle as he tried to shake them around, acting as if he were sprinting.

He then re-attached his hood, noting that he could still cover his head without the swords getting in the way.

"That, I would have to say, completes the look. You're geared, armed and ready to face a Grimm head-on."

Ruby said, as she walked around Zen to see how their time today equated to what was standing before them.

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy with what we've done today, couldn't have done it without both of you, I'll make it up to you two."

"Well, how bout we get to test your swords in a one on one sparring match? See how they compare against Crescent Rose?

Gives you a chance to go up against something a bit more challenging than swords."

Ruby said, as she was already thinking how his swords would fair against her sweetheart.

"Okay, then it's settled. You'll finally have some variety in combat training Zen.

I was starting to worry that, even if you could hold your own against me, you may not be able to against an opponent with a different arsenal."

Penny responded, making note of the training session to come.

"There is just one more thing."

Zen said as he walked over to Penny, who knew what he meant and produced a beautifully wrapped pink box, filled with chocolate chip cookies.

"I know it's not much in terms of repaying you for helping me today Ruby, but it's a start. Actually it's not, as this is from both of us, as a way of saying..."

"...Thank you for being such a sensational friend."

Penny finishing Zen's sentence, handing it to Ruby, who was a little surprised and then wide eyed and smiling as she took the gift, hugging both Penny and Zen at the same time.

"I don't know what to say, other than thank you, and I am lucky to have you two as friends."

* * *

As Yang and Blake entered the dorm, they were greeted by Weiss as well as their teammate, Penny and Zen.

Blake went straight to her bed and continued to read.

Yang sat on Weiss' bed, just staring at the four of them, talking, still infuriated about what happened that afternoon.

As she was about to speak and begin to interrogate Zen, she notice something about Ruby.

She was smiling.

Yes granted, this was Ruby we're talking about.

The always optimistic girl who made friends with anyone and everyone, always in a good mood.

But there was a time where Yang could remember, when her sister was not a bundle of cheer, rather, she was sad, miserable and even angry.

These were times after Summer had passed away, and so Yang was there to comfort her sister and to be the shoulder to cry on, the one to attempt to make her happy by any means necessary.

The brawler then thought back even further, before the suffering Ruby endured began, when she knew her little sister had a certain smile.

A smile that was only reserved for those who she really cared for or who really mattered to her.

She had seen this smile when it came to people like her family, team JNPR, Blake and Weiss as well as Penny and the other friends she'd met at Beacon... _and now it appeared like that smile was directed at Zen._

Yang kept quiet for the moment resisting the urge to yell and hit him through a wall.

Finally, she stood up and headed for the door.

"And where exactly are you going?" Weiss said, catching Yang reach for the door handle out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm going to go and train. I'll be awhile, so don't wait up for me."

Letting those words out with a stern tone, the last few fading as the door closed behind her, before Weiss could even respond.

She would deal with Zen, just not when her sister was around.

Especially when she appeared as happy as Yang thought she was at that moment.

* * *

As Penny and Zen entered their dorm, Penny flopped on the bed, sighing as she did, relieved that she could take the stress off her legs, looking towards Zen as he sat at his own bed unhooking his scabbards from the rest of his armour.

Looking up, he smiled back at Penny and began to speak.

"Today was alright wasn't it Penny."

'Alright! It was great. Beside the fact we have been training up until now, we got to take a break and have time to ourselves, all the while we spent it with Ruby, exploring the streets of Vale.

The last time I had a chance like that, it..."

She trailed off mid sentence, Zen knew exactly where she was going if she hadn't stopped.

"Penny, I can't thank you and Ruby enough for what you did for me today."

He spurted out, keeping the conversation going.

"More so with you. You have taken the time to train me, you've been patient with me.

From the beginning, you've been so kind and thoughtful. Our friendship means so much to me..."

He lost the smile that was on his face as he said this, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

"Which is what I wanted to talk to you about.

When you left to buy my scabbards, I had a talk with Ruby, she told me to stay honest and to say what I'm about say now rather than wait..."

"Zen, say what.. exactly?"

"...Penny the day I regained my memories, I...I knew who you were."

Penny remained quiet for a moment, then she smiled and chuckled as she spoke.

"Of course you know who I am, you don't lose new memories when you regain old ones when you recover from having amne-"

"Penny, I know you're an android."

"..."

"I wanted you to know that, that I know."

"..."

I didn't want to hide that fact from you."

"..."

" I wanted to be honest with you."

"..."

"I want to be a good friend to you."

"..."

"Penny, please forgive me if this has hurt you in some way."

"..."

"I'm so sorry you had to find out this way...I-I shouldn't have said it ...I..I shouldn't have said anything."

"How did you know...?"

"I'm, I'm sorry?"

"How did you know that I am an android?" Penny said in a very shallow small voice, almost as if she was going to tear up.

"W-well, t-there were the obvious things. You appeared to never eat around me, your extremely perceptive behaviour, the fact that you seem to change the way you fight at the drop of a hat and also you never appear to tire after a hard times training."

"Okay..."

"Penny, I want you to know that nothing has changed between us. I'm still going to see you as Penny Polendina, the girl from Atlas who fights with swords that dance on the end of strings.

The same Penny who was there for me when nobody else was, who was willing to help a complete stranger who might have been the harbinger of danger to Vale for all she knew...but you did it and that's what makes you special."

"..."

"Penny please, I'm sorry I didn't mean any ha-"

Immediately he was smothered by Penny's hug.

She held him like that for a five minutes, then she spoke.

"I know, I just wanted to see if you were going to compliment me any further.

You don't have to be sorry, it was going to happen sooner or later, I just didn't know how to handle it. Or even how you would. But, since you haven't changed in tone, or body language around me since then, everything is fine. And Zen, after all of this, all I can say now is ...

Thank you. Thank you for being such a... _Zensational friend_."

"Penny. I know that a few minutes ago I was dreading our friendship was going to end from what I would tell you. Now however, I swear I'm going to get back at you for that egregious joke."

The pair laughed for a while before turning in for the night, knowing that they had a sparring date with the scythe wielder to look forward to in the morning.

Before Zen could fall into a deep sleep, he heard his scroll go off, and as his vision focused after being blinded by the screen, he read the following message.

 _Hey Zen, this is Ruby. I got your number from Penny and I have attached a document that describes how you can maintain your weapon, if ever there's a problem with it. I hope all goes well with your talk with Penny. It was nice to spend time with the two of you, I'll let you go now since we have tomorrow to look forward to. Goodnight Zen._

* * *

As Blake approached the training room, she could hear her teammates' yells and grunts as what sounded like several bodies hit the floor.

A small smirk came over her, not of one of contempt but of predictability.

In the time she knew Yang, if ever she was stressed, angry or upset, this was always the first place she'd be.

Yang did this not only as a means to vent her problems, but also because she always thought that by training, she could step above her problem.

By improving herself in combat, maybe it would have the same effect on the problem she had to deal with.

When Blake entered, she could tell that Yang knew she wasn't alone, she ignored Blake's presence as she cocked Ember Celica for another round with the dummies.

"If you want to know, they left just two or three minutes after you left."

"Well isn't that just good to know." Yang retorted in a sarcastic fashion, cracking her knuckles as they began to tense up upon the thought of that guy in the same dorm as her.

"What about Ruby, how is she?"

"She's fine, pretty cheerful, said she had an enjoyable day, helping Zen build his weapon."

"..."

"Actually she was concerned about you once you left, she wanted to come talk to you once her guests left."

"Then why didn't she?"

"She did, but she also looked pretty worn out, so I said I'd come talk to you instead and let her rest."

"Well you're here. So what exactly did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about this afternoon."

"Hold that thought." Yang said, raising her index finger up at Blake. She rolled back her right arm and let it connect with the nearest dummy sending it flying, smashing against the wall, almost causing it to crack.

As she stood it back in its place, its head was only attached by a single thread, swinging side to side as it dangled .

"You said that Ruby spent today helping him build his weapon right?"

"Yes."

"Well maybe now he may at least try to defend himself when I next see him. Doubt it will do him any good."

"Yang! What is your problem with this guy? What have you got against him so much? Even someone like Torchwick hasn't gotten you this mad, and he actually _tried_ to kill your sister... three times I might add."

"It just doesn't make any sense to me. The fact that he rarely talks to anyone, yet he talks to my little sister, a few hours no doubt and they act like they've been lifelong friends."

"What's wrong with that? Your sister has that effect on people."

"But she wasn't who I was referring to.

Don't you remember? It was _him_ that talked to her about meeting up."

"Well not everyone can be as outgoing as you are you know, I mean look at me, when we first met, I wanted nothing more to sit and read."

"That's not the point, and besides you're different. You wanted to keep to yourself because you were scared of how we would take to you being...you know...you.

But you've come out of your shell and now you're just as social as the rest of us.

"..."

"Well in your own way that is. Plus you've been open with us about your personal life and that there are no secrets between us."

 _Yeah open about it, there are no more secrets..._ Blake thought to herself, as brief moments of being with the white fang flashed before her.

"But you guys helped me with that, I'm sure that Zen has his own problems, and you haven't had a warm reception with him either.

I've seen you respond to him in two ways, either you keep the peace and remain silent like you did this morning. Or, you simply distance yourself from him. You haven't spoken to him properly and you're making this situation very difficult."

"Blake, be honest with me. If someone came up to me or Weiss and were acting unusually suspicious and somehow they knew something about us, despite the fact we've never had prior contact with them before.

And on top of that, they act all weird and somehow are able to make a prediction that's true... Wouldn't you be a bit concerned for our wellbeing?"

"Look, I understand that you want no harm to come to Ruby, and both Weiss and I would do the same without hesitation.

But at the same time, I don't think there is any need for concern, Ruby is our team leader, she is capable of anything she puts her mind to, including taking care of herself when the situation calls for it.

But if it's really bothering you, I will try to talk to him when I have the time.

See if there's anything out of the ordinary he says and ask him why he said what he said in the dorm."

Blake responded, seeing how much this whole thing with what Zen said that afternoon was eating at her teammate.

Blake knew what Yang meant about his unusual demeanour, and she was feeling a little apprehensive now that she thought about it.

If Zen behaved similarly to Blake with how she interacted with people, keeping to themselves around others, she could only speculate as to what he could be hiding.

"Alright, thanks Blake. I know this may be strange to you, but I feel that there's more to him than meets the eye."

"Don't mention it, now c'mon it's late, and you seem worn out by today, get some rest...I'm not leaving here without you."

"Blake Belladonna, always the voice of reason. And Blake, thank you for looking out for Ruby."

And with that, the two trailed off towards the dorm room for some much needed sleep.

* * *

 _ **So as mentioned in chapter 10, there are alot of things I wanted to discuss.**_

 _ **First of all:**_

 _ **I want to thank the comment made by a guest reviewer in chapter 9, I am glad that people are enjoying the story and providing their input, I value it when people let me know how they feel about my story, kinda cuts out the personal bias a little.**_

 _ **The thanks also goes to the other reviews that have been left, from suggestions to correcting errors (Qrow Brandwaven is now Qrow Branwen).**_

 _ **I also want to thank you all who are reading and following Foresight, so far since I wrote this, a total of 2100 people have read forseigt, so from countries I didn't know the name of.**_

 _ **The reason I have written such a large chapter and given all three at once is because, I'll be taking a week off from writing (or at least sitting at my laptop to write).  
I'm doing this because, I'll be staying with friends inthe heart of Sydney, and I'll be seeing the Sydney Achievemnet Live show on Wednesday...Which is on my Birthday.**_

 _ **Again thank you so much for interest in my story, theres still loads more to come (given that there is a 10 week gap between this chapter and the Vytal tournament commencing).**_

 _ **Now for the usual commentary I make at the end of a chapter (or rather all three):  
**_

 ** _So these are the chapters that finally reveal something, if you wanted to know what Zen's weapons look like...its in the cover art for the story. The swords themselves are on either side of the image, the on ein the middle is the rifle (that is formed by the two swords combining) and in between them are the 'secondary' guns._**

 ** _The inspiration for Zen's weapon (especially the rifle part) was essentially looking at a beam rifle (from halo 3 ) and flipping it 180 degrees._**

 ** _Zen's armour is somewhat based off of the arbiter (again from the halo franchise...halo 2)._**

 ** _Battle Pals is a fusion of Battle Buddies and Play Pals.  
_**

 ** _And finally, this set of chapters were probably the third or fourth thing I wrote to begin with ( I had to write everything leading up to this essentially after this chapter was a complete draft)._**

 ** _And so I after reading three chapters at once (dedication right there)._**

 ** _Thank you and see you in the next chapter._**


	14. Chapter 13

Team RWBY's dorm appeared peaceful, calm and quiet, with three of its occupants nestled in their respective beds. The early morning sun blanketed the room a warm yellow haze as it shone through the half open curtains.

Slowly, the door creaked open, Blake's ears perked up at the initial sound of footsteps entering, but the Faunus girl remained still, undisturbed by the strides that came from the individual in question.

After becoming accustomed to the occasional snoring from Yang for several months now, anything softer than that was considered silent to her.

What came next however, proved to be one of the few minor occasions Blake wished she wasn't a faunus, her heighten hearing proving to be both an advantage as well as a hindrance.

"Goooood mooooooornnnniiiiiinnngggg teeeeeeaaaaaammmm RWBY!" Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs in an energetic voice, violently startling her teammates.

Blake's ears, which had stood upright before, folded down as the sudden, sharp change in ambience nearly deafened them, causing her to awaken with a headache, receiving twice the pain compared to Weiss or Yang.

Weiss gasped for air, fearing this to be some form of emergency, but once she realised who had awoken her, she lay in bed trying to recall the pleasant dream she was having before it was yanked away from her with no good reason why.  
And as for the brawler, she just opened her eyes and looked in the direction where her younger sister stood, complacent to the sound of the overly excited fifteen year old, yet was still agitated by the ordeal never the less.

"Agh! Ruby! I thought we were past the whole, _waking us all up by giving us heart attacks_ was done and over with!" The heiress said, angrily glaring at her fully dressed, wide eyed and cheerful teammate.

"Sorry Weiss. It's just one of those days where I'm in a really good mood and nothing is going to change that." She beamed, still feeling contempt by her morning wake up call, despite her teammates visibly opposing the warm reception.

"Well, you almost ate that entire box of cookies before going to bed.

So I'd say that anyone with the same amount of sugar pumping through your veins would also be in a _good mood._ Not to mention being energetic as you currently are on top of that."

Blake tiredly said, dreary eyed, pulling back the covers while massaging the right side of her temple as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Where did you get them from anyway?" Yang asked, noticing said box at the end of her sister's bed from her vantage point.

 _Looks very fancy compared to the usual box of cookies she would normally buy._

"They were a gift from Penny and Zen." Weiss interjects before Ruby has time to answer, noting the expression Yang has as she mentioned where the box had originated from.

After which, she proceeded to address her team leader.

"So exactly why are you in such an unusually good mood? You nearly have the same expression now as you did when the three of you came back from Vale. Though even for you, I've never seen you so ecstatic at this hour. Does it have to do with helping them out yesterday?"

" It kind of does, after all, I got to hang out with Penny, I made a new friend...and, I helped him out with his weapon.

But don't you remember our conversation last night?

The three of us were discussing about having a sparring match tomorrow, which is now today, and we'll do it after classes.

I'll be able to see how Zen fights with his weapons close up.

As well as how he'll use them now that they've been modified." She said, trying to keep her words as coherent for her partner as possible, suppressing the urge to ramble on about the modifications she made, down to the very last detail.

"Yes I definitely remember the conversation. I just wanted to know for sure that's reason you're especially cheerful this morning as well as why you felt it was appropriate that you had to _voice_ your eagerness to the rest of us."

"Of course that's the reason. You know how excited I get when it comes to weaponry Weiss." Ruby replied. Ignoring the subtle hint of Weiss' plight with being awoken via a miniature cardiac arrest.

"It figures. I mean, if I recall correctly, once we got to know each other after our... _rocky start_ , you pestered me for days on end to ' _look_ ' at Myrtenaster, inside and out.

I am also aware that you tried the same thing with Blake whenever you had the chance to talk to her when neither Yang or I were around.

And you only ceased your persistent pleading to handle our weapons when you decided, no, convinced us, that it would be a essential for all of us to understand how each other's weapons' operated.

' _If ever there were a situation that meant we traded weapons mid confrontation'_... or... 'S _omehow we were parted with our own weapon yet had our teammates' one instead_ ', were the exact words you used to explain your reasoning." Weiss said, her eyes narrowed as she remembered the exercise.

Ruby turned a slight shade of red as Weiss called her bluff, staring at the ground to the side of her as she rubbed the back of her neck.

 _Heh heh._

"Well you can't say I don't shy away from being dedicated to my goals." She said in a voice just loud enough for her teammate to hear.

Weiss' hand immediately went to the bridge of her nose, sighing as she rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes, knowing full well that her team leader couldn't hide behind her passion.

Despite openly sighing at the exercise being an excuse for Ruby to use Myrtenaster, Gambol Shroud and Ember Celica, she admitted to herself that their leader's decision was quite a rational one.

 _Given the fact we've trained as a team, and at this stage, know each other's strengths and weaknesses, it made sense for us to do the same with our weapons._

After pausing for a few minutes from regaling their discussion, Weiss returned her attention to Ruby and her oddly chirpy demeanour.

"Going back to your plans with Penny and Zen.

Just so I'm clear, you'll be sparring with Zen more so than with Penny, since the exercise is meant to be about his weapons and fighting style, correct?"

"Yep."

"Hmmm. I just have a feeling that even though this is merely a friendly match, it will not be easy for him to hold his own against you.

Given what you told me about his match with Jaune, Zen will most likely find you to be, a bit more...advanced, based on your fighting style.

"To be honest, he wasn't as bad as you think. Jaune's only means of attacking and defending himself usually involve direct slashes, lunges, parries and his shield. Those types of attacks would have caused Zen to be seriously injured. So Jaune had no other option besides switching to the shield to use against him."

"I'll admit it, I was impressed to hear he was able to adapt to the situation as quick as he did, this is just another reason why Jaune has demonstrated himself to be a good team leader."

"And given Zen's well...you know...aura situation, I'll have to be careful in how I attack him, especially since Crescent Rose was designed with the intention of mowing down as many Grimm and hostiles as possible.

It's going to be difficult in preventing instincts from kicking in, but it won't be impossible.

Actually, while I'm thinking about it, this may help me...after all, being less aggressive would have been helpful with that one time I 'accidentally' killed that beowolf you were going for during initiation."

" Well, although knowing how to subdue an opponent by non lethal tactics may prove to be quite a beneficial skill for you to learn. I still find it strange to hear he has a condition that renders his aura as nonexistent."

"Weiss...you're starting to sound like you did when you first saw Sun at the harbour." She said in a stern tone.

"I'm sorry if I seem to be sounding like...how I use to, but it isn't what I meant.

What I'm trying to get at, is something I once learnt about aura and it's connection to dust."

She took a minute or so to think, wondering the appropriate way to phrase her reasoning.

"You know how we have the ability to use dust alongside our aura? or rather, when humanity first discovered and harnessed the power of dust, we did so by controlling it with our auras.

If my memory serves me correctly.

According to most academics, the leading theory as to how all life in Remnant can even generate an aura could be due to trace amounts of dust contained within us.

This would explain why Grimm aren't able to produce their own aura and why they seem to dissipate upon being neutralized.

Also, there have been studies that demonstrate the environment might also play a role with the strength of the aura you are able to produce, notably the concentration of dust in the region where you grew up relates to your aura level.

Though the differences are minor and aren't game changing, they do differ from kingdom to kingdom nevertheless.

By the logic of _this_ theory, if he doesn't possess the ability to generate an aura, it would mean he must have lived somewhere that is totally devoid of it...and that wouldn't make sense coming from Atlas.

Ruby stared at Weiss, suggesting that the team leader wasn't convinced by the given explanation as well as what she could be implying about Zen, prompting the heiress to change the topic, clearing her throat in the process.

"Speaking of which, where in Atlas does he come from?"

"I never did ask him about where he lived, Penny and I were too preoccupied worrying about how he would be able to protect himself during missions when they happen.

Plus, I feel that, on a regular basis the first thing people will say to him besides a simple 'hello' when they get to know him is;

 _'So, you can't generate an aura...how come?'_ or _'What's that like',_ what about; _' How have you gotten so far in combat training with such a limitation?_ finally _;_ 'W _hy do you want to be in this line of work, protecting others if you can't protect yourself_ '?"

Weiss felt slightly ashamed, specifically with Ruby's last example, it was going to be her next question, _but not to the point of questioning the legitimacy of his capabilities to become a huntsman._

Ruby continued,

"So instead of bombarding him with questions about his aura, I decided not to bring it up unless I needed to.

Also why does it matter _why_ he isn't able to generate an aura?

What matters is, that even if this hinders him, he is willing to perform better as a huntsman in training, something that we all are striving for."

"I know, I know, I still find it unusual, mainly just that I have never heard of something like this, let alone come to know of someone living with it."

"It is unusual, I'll admit that, but besides this, he is a kind person, and my newest friend, so please, can we not talk about his condition anymore."

"Alright, I won't mention it any further.

But if I do get a chance to talk to him, I'm sure he won't mind if I ask him about Atlas and the training he's received during his time at the academy."

Weiss said, shifting herself whilst still in bed.

"What about why he wants to attend Beacon, I know that he will be doing so by next year, but did he mention the reason?"

"No, not really."She said, with a hint of sadness, missing an opportunity to find out why Zen would choose Beacon over Atlas. Though Beacon was considered the best of the four academies, she never thought it would be possible for anyone to transfer from one academy to another. E _specially if you'd be joining the academy at the second year with the possibility of having no team of three to join._

"Hmmm, what about his friendship with Penny, when did they become friends?"

"They never mentioned how long they've known each other, perhaps they became friends after being paired together as teammates."

"Interesting, considering when we met her, we all assumed you to be her first friend after you said she was.

Then again, you were the only one to spend time with her initially, so point proven.

Though once the rest of us got to know her, I don't recall on any occasion Penny mentioning him or the rest of her team." Weiss pondered, voicing her thoughts aloud while addressing Ruby at the same time.

" I've tried asking her a few times, but she didn't want to talk about them.

Probably with the constant private training and how little free time she gets to herself or explore Vale, she would rather talk about other topics when we did have the chance to be together.

But remember how I said she has been giving Zen extra training lessons?

Well, I found out that they've been training together since the second half of the break, which was shortly after Zen arrived at Beacon.

And that's all they were doing before the start of lessons.

In fact, when we were out yesterday, Penny became really excited about the match, since I feel she is worried he might become too accustom combating her and her weapons, which are similar to his own."

"That sounds rather odd, considering even at Atlas there should be a large range of students who use hand to hand weaponry as well as-"

" So what you're trying to say is...it almost sounds like you mean he's never encountered another type of weapon other than a sword or swords in sparring matches?"

Yang piped up after sitting in silence for the duration of the entire conversation between Weiss and Ruby.

"To be fair, she described it as 'variety'.

Now does this necessarily mean he's fought against combatants that don't use weapons similar to his own?

I wouldn't say that is what Penny was referring to.

If anything I'm sure I was the one who assumed that he had been focusing on sparring with an opponent who primarily used a sword or sword like weapon.

From our time at Beacon, I've seen many people use weapons that can be classified as being a sword or sword like weapon, so by her saying he should practice combating against an opponent with a non sword type weapon is justified.

Penny was most likely trying to suggest to Zen how she wants him to be able to train with other people in mind... eventually they will no longer be on a team together, and by having this sparring match together may help him adjust to the new academy."

Ruby replied, looking up at Yang, feeling slightly uneasy by the tone her older sister used when asking the question.

At that moment, Blake exited the bathroom, causing Yang to immediately jump down and enter before Weiss could even move herself to get out of bed.

The blonde not wanting to begin the day with a headache so early in the morning, her mind wandering back to yesterday.

"Background experience or not, are you sure that it is a good idea to spar with the two of them?

I mean, don't forget, they are from Atlas and therefore our rivals when the Vytal tournament begins. What if they pick up on your fighting style and learn how to exploit any weakness you have with using your scythe?" Weiss asked, giving a hesitant look at her team leader.

"It'll be fine Weiss. How would it be any different from us interacting with students from other kingdoms when we have sparring classes?

Or when we'll be starting to go out on missions?

There's the real possibility we'll be working with them during future missions.

So it would be likely that if someone would have a chance to learn one's moves in preparation for the tournament, the best opportunity to do so would be during those lessons, where you can gain a better insight on a person's strengths and weakness if they are faced with opponents with varying degrees in skill."

Blake said, ruffling her hair dry.

It became a mess slightly once she pulled her head out of the towel, she added one more note to her reasoning, her ears twitching now they felt the cool air.

"Remember, this is Ruby we're talking about, she has proven herself to be quite capable of being unpredictable when fighting, not to mention resourceful when need be.

Consider what we discussed yesterday, Ruby mentioned that Penny had been training Zen, I'd hazard a guess in saying he'll be too focused on his own abilities to fight, rather than focusing on Ruby's techniques."

 **"** I guess you're right Blake. And you'll be going easy on him anyway, won't you?" Weiss said, quickly looking over to her teammate.

"That I will." Ruby said as she smiled at the checkmate duo.

"Oh, and don't forget to tell us about the techniques they use when you comeback."Weiss added, garnering an eye roll from both Ruby and Blake.

 _Meanwhile in Penny and Zen's dorm._

The redhead awoke to the sound of the door opening, followed by soft, but heavy breathing.

Sitting herself up, she was greeted with an almost out of breath Zen, looking as though he was about to collapse where he stood.

"Um Zen, why are you fully clad in your armour?" She asked, looking at him up and down as she got out of bed.

"Well. I wanted to get use to the weight of it on me. So I decided to wear it while I went for my run. You know, just in case I might have to do that when we go on our first mission tomorrow." Was all he could string together, while sweat ran down his brow.

"And so I take it you're quite worn out from the experience?" She said, trying to suppress a laugh at the sight of her teammate.

"I mean sure, for now I am, but in time I'll be good."

"Will you be alright for the afternoon match with Ruby? I can tell her we can do it another time if you're too tired."

"Nope, I should be alright by then, right now I just gotta go... and...sit ...down... for... a...minute." He said, as he landed face first on his bed, with absolutely no grace whatsoever.

"Oh, Zen are you alright? Did you need some water?"

With his face still buried, he lifted his thumb up before it landed on the bed with a thud.

In doing so, a book which sat on the end of his bed bounded upward and came to rest at Penny's feet as she returned with a glass of water.

Picking it up after handing him the glass, she inspected the cover as Zen the guzzled entire contents of the cup in mere seconds.

"How did this get here?" She asked once she had scanned several pages, feeling as though she already knew why Zen would have borrowed this book but still thought it appropriate to ask.

The cover displayed a map of the kingdom of Atlas, as she flipped through it described in great detail the history of the kingdom as well as the provinces that made up atlas as a whole, also going into detail with regards to the distinctions of each province.

"I thought it would be a good idea to read up on the region I come from, since I'm still using the alias Ozpin gave me. And, since we'll be seeing Ruby again, we might get into a conversation about my time there, so it won't hurt to have some background knowledge just in case."

"If you're sure you'll be fine, I will get ready and head out for my lessons." She said, receiving yet another thumbs up as Zen propped himself up, undoing some of the guards that protected his limbs.

"I'll just get cleaned up and then head out for my own, I'll see you this afternoon."He replied.

 _For Ruby, time seemed slow, but she kept her thoughts on what awaited her, a chance to square off against someone in possession of a weapon of her own making._

 _Slowly but surely she was eventually dismissed from her final lesson, which happened to be a class that Zen and her didn't share._

 _As she made her way to the training room, in anticipation to see the full potential of Zen and his weapons, even now, her mind was focused on how she would fight him without letting any harm come to her friend as well give him a challenge._

 _Sure, it seemed simple enough of a task, just copy what you'd do in a supervised sparring match right?_

 _But under those conditions, you still had leniency to allow your weapon to connect with your opponent, but here, there was the underlying case of avoiding injuries._

 _I'd imagine that most tactics Zen would have to use in combat would be evasive, if he would ever last long enough in a match, considering that's what it seemed like he was doing when he sparred with Jaune._

As Ruby was nearly about to place her scroll on the scanner, a new thought came to her, and before she could think twice, the scythe wielder turned on her heels and activated her semblance.

Within a few minutes, Ruby flung open the door to her dorm room, startling Weiss, causing the heiress to shift her attention from what she was currently doing to the teammate who had nearly broken the door in order to get inside, one or two petals floating to the ground as the air became still.

"Ruby? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to spar with Penny and Zen?" Weiss asked in a surprised, yet concerned tone.

"I am, there's just something I need to do before hand." She replied with a large smile, before she dashed towards the cabinet where she kept spare weapon parts and equipment.

"As I was going to the sparring rooms, I remembered our talk this morning, and it made me think about Zen and his ability to move around in combat.

This made me think that Zen might need something to help him, or rather add to his attire."

Ruby smiled as she pulled out what she needed, then grabbing her toolkit, she began to combine the individual pieces, continuing to address Weiss, who at this point had her full attention focused on what the team leader was doing.

"You wouldn't happen to know if Pyrrha is in her dorm by any chance?"

Ruby said, looking up once she had finished what she was currently doing.

"She entered her room as I arrived at ours. But why did you need to see her?"

"Oh, it just has to do with what I'm making."

"And what are you making exactly?"

"It's to help Zen, so he can save time with carrying his weapons."

"I still don't understand..."

"Well, if you do want to understand, you'll just have to come with me to see for yourself, get a chance to know Zen a little better." She said as she finished with attaching the last harness to the frame, before getting up and making her way to the door.

"Sorry Ruby, but as much as I want to, I actually have to review my notes from Professor Port's lesson, but tell those two I said hello to them."

"Okay Weiss, I will. Try and not work too hard alright." Ruby beamed with an encouraging grin as she proceeded to exit their dorm.

" _You Dolt_." Weiss smiled and slightly shook her head.

She could barely make out the sound of Ruby's distinctive carefree knock on JNPR's door, followed by the younger girl saying something along the lines of ' _hey Pyrrha I was wondering if you could use your semblance to help me with something_.'

The heiress then went back to looking over the papers in front of her, as well as documents that were related to medical conditions and aura usage as well as a news article she was reading on her scroll.

The headline talked about an unusual disturbance that happened a few weeks ago in downtown Vale, a strange flash of light that appeared with no explanation as to what or _who_ caused it.

Once Ruby had what she needed as well as thanking Pyrrha for her help, she wasted no time in hurrying back to the sparring room, nearly bumping into Yang in the process, who called out to her, stoping the younger girl in her tracks.

"Wait Ruby, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah sis, what's up." She beamed as she looked up at her older sibling.

At that instant Yang froze, she had it all figured out as to what she would say to her, yet seeing her sister now, she was lost for words.

"Yang..?"

"You know what sis, just go and have fun training, you'll do great, show 'em what you can do." She finally said.

"Okay thanks Yang,"

Yang just stood there and watched the figure of red and black race off in the direction of the sparring rooms, before mentally berating herself.

 _Okay Yang, you blew it. Just have to try again another time._

"Where can Ruby be ,it is most unusual for her to be running late. Perhaps I should contact her, see if she is delayed or not." Penny said, bringing her sword downwards, Zen blocking it before pushing her back and responding to her query.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon, you saw how eager she was when we planned for this match, she's not going to miss this."He replied as he lunged at her, before being blocked by his opponent, as she side stepped him and locked her swords with his.

Just as they separated, preparing for another set of attacks , the sound of the scanner from outside activated, resulting in the door to open shortly after.

The hood wearer entered with a smile on her face, slightly exasperated as she spoke.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, but here I am, so we can fight in a minute, there's just one thing we need to do before starting.

Zen, this is for you," She said as she indicated the brace she held onto, which had peeked the pairs curiosity the moment she walked in.

"I remembered that you had your scabbards to holster your weapons in their initial sword form, yet you had no way of holstering your weapons either in their dual guns or single rifle mode.

So I modified one of my old weapon holster frames that I used for carrying Crescent Rose, and with Pyrrha's help, I've made a magnetic back brace.

Now you don't have to worry about having to return your weapon to its primary mode without having to carry them.

The rifle can attach to the back, while the two guns can rest in the lower back holsters.

"Thank you, y-you didn't have to do that for me Ruby."

"Aw it was nothing, once I told Pyrrha the reason why I needed her help, she told me it was a good idea to equip you with a brace so you didn't have to spend time returning your weapons to their original form, since; _'every minute on the battlefield counts.'._ She replied, as she helped attaching it to the rest of Zen's attire.

The brace appeared to resemble an upside down "T", where Zen's weapon in its rifle mode would be magnetically coupled to the brace along the length of his back, where as the secondary mode would rest on the lower half of his back, allowing him to grab them from behind his hips with little effort.

Once Zen had practiced holstering his weapons in their secondary and tertiary modes as well as getting a feel for the difference in weight distribution of the weapons on his back, he took his position on the sparring floor, Ruby doing the same.

"Zen, are you ready?" Penny asked taking her place in the viewing area.

"Yes, I am." He replied, with a hint of excitement as well as nervousness, excited he was finally going to see Ruby fighting in person, but nervous as to _how_ she would fight him."

"Ruby, are you ready?"

"Yep, I've been ready since we organised this!" She exclaimed.

"Alright, you may initiate a friendly conflict in a controlled environment, now." She said, seating herself and began to analyse the fight that commenced in front of her.

Zen was the first to make a move, dashing towards Ruby, his weapons slightly raised above his waist. Once he was within arm's length of her, his right sword went for a jab, while the left lifted above his right shoulder, coming down a second later in an attempt to slash at her mid section.

Ruby realising what her opponent was doing, swung Crescent Rose, knocking the left sided attack down and guarding her right side by using the lower half of her weapon to push against his.

They held their respective position for a few seconds before Ruby pushed off against Zen, twirling the scythe in her hands until the position they were along the weapon had been swapped.

Pointing the tip of the base of Crescent Rose, she jabbed at Zen similar to how Pyrrha would use Milo in its javelin form, he crossed his weapons together as he deflected the sharp tip of Ruby's scythe, the move nearly coming in contact with him, had he not shifted himself whilst guarding the attack.

Once she was free to go for another attack, the hood wearer raised the weapon above her head, bringing it down in one motion, usually Ruby would have done so twice as fast, but given her current opponent, she allowed him time to assess the situation before dodging.

As Zen moved out of the way, he flicked his wrists, allowing the weapons to transform into their secondary mode. Once finished, he fired several shots at her, causing one or two points on her body to flicker red.

Zen's opponent activated her semblance and sped around the track, making his job even harder.

 _As if hitting you relatively stationary wasn't already a challenge._ He thought to himself.

Despite spending most of his ammo failing to land a hit on the scythe wielder, he was quite surprised when one of his shots met its target, several rose petals bursting outwards as the projectile came into contact with the mass of red.

 _ **Click**_

 _Oh-oh_

Was the only thought that came to his panicked mind as Zen fired another two shots before the audible tell tale sign came from both his weapons that he had spent his last round.

His concern was warranted, knowing that was exactly what she was waiting for, sure enough, once his fingers left the trigger, the mass of red petals subsided as Ruby came out from the other side.

As she slid to a halt, she drew Crescent Rose and pressed a button just above the trigger, the weapon's normal curved blade straightened.

Once it finished transforming, she rotated it in her hand and followed through in the motion of a sweeping arc, allowing the blunt side to face Zen.

As it came close, Zen lifted his swords up in response, the weapons collided, nearly causing him to lose balance, but he held his position.

Pushing off her, he went for another attack, only for Ruby to dodge it and knock him to the ground.

She waited patiently for him to stand before allowing him a second chance at an offensive manoeuvre, giving him an encouraging smile as he did.

He lifted both weapons above his head, believing that if she blocked an overhead strike, she wouldn't have enough time to react to an attack that came at her from two separate directions.

Sure enough, when the swords came downwards, Ruby lifted her sweet heart to meet them, after which, Zen pulled his weapons back a little above her, before bringing them towards Ruby's midsection, the pair of swords crossing each other as they sliced diagonally at Ruby before parting ways.

The board displayed Ruby's aura being reduced by five percent after the two successive attacks from Zen.

He went for a second attack, but his weapons were met by Crescent Rose, first knocking back the left sword, then the right, performing the motion as if her weapon were a glaive, before knocking back Zen again with the body of her scythe.

Once Ruby had distanced herself, whilst he was facing away from her, she thought for split second and decided to act upon her idea.

 _It's a little risky, but I'm sure Zen can do it._ The scythe wielder rationalized.

She brought crescent rose around and executed another sweeping motion, this time, testing Zen's reaction, as she had the scythe's blade facing him.

Knowing he had only seconds to react, Zen lifted his swords above him and brought them behind his back, almost as if he was sheathing them, he held them there as he heard the metals of both weapons meeting.

He felt himself losing footing and was sent flying as he fully lost his balance by the weight of the weapon and wielder behind it.

He slid along the ground until coming to a stop at the end of the wall, as a result of being carried by the momentum of Crescent Rose.

"Zen are you alright?" Ruby asked concerningly, she stowed her scythe to its holster, before sprinting towards the fallen combatant.

"Yeah, I'm alright, I would like to do that again, but maybe another day?"

He said happily as she helped him to his feet.

" _Heh heh_ , sorry about that last manoeuvre, I guess I got carried away, I wanted to see how you'd handle an attack like that... from what I saw you did reasonably well...minus the whole - flying through the air for a second or two."

"So how did I do?" He said as looked over to Penny who had now come to their side, also looking worried, before changing her expression of relief.

"For your first fight with someone that isn't me, you did alright, though I'm sure you had sufficient time to face that last attack and guard it without issue.

But maybe in a few days we might work on your reflexes, considering Ruby only used a fraction of the speed she is capable of- " Before she could continue, Ruby piped up, slightly nervous as she spoke at first.

"Actually this brings up something, I know this is a little sudden, but I was wondering, would it be weird if I wanted to spar with you again...or should I say, I want to help with Zen with your training?

I'm not saying you need the help, but I want to have more sparing matches and, like Penny said, I can attack a lot faster than I did, so I can help you with testing your reflexes ." She said as she looked away, feeling awkward by what she was asking.

"Ruby, you're more than welcome to help with training, if you hadn't asked us, I was going to talk to you about it later, but since you've brought it up, there is no need worry." Penny said with excitement in her voice.

"Well I just thought, since you two had been spending nearly every moment of your free periods sparring together, why can't I join and help out, plus who knows, I might learn a thing or two...or even better I might teach you something." Ruby said with a slight smirk on her face.

Once it had become evening, the three walked along the corridor of the dorm for Beacon students, where they were greeted by the remaining members of team RWBY.

"Hey guys." Ruby said as she entered the dorm.

"So how'd it go today," Blake was the first to speak, as the amber eyed girl welcomed the hood wearer.

"It was really good, very 'different' from a normal sparring match." she said, glancing back at Penny and Zen. "I had fun."

"I can't thank you enough for sparring with us Ruby, hope we can do it again real soon." Zen replied, knowing how much this could help him with his training.

"We can probably do it after we've finished our missions tomorrow."

"Okay, well then see you then, we should head back to our room, got to be ready for what's in store for us." He said, look at Penny who nodded in agreement.

"Okay, goodnight guys." Ruby said as the pair headed towards their dorm, feeling contempt that the scythe wielder wanted to assist them with their training.

* * *

 ** _Aaaaannnnd I'm back, from one week hiatus...which somehow ended up being two months._**

 ** _This chapter was actually a tough one when it came to dialogue, or rather the explanation Weiss gave about aura, ( personally I never liked the explanation that was "it's a fraction of human potential, or whatever Jin's explanation) still not sure if it makes sense, when you say it out loud._**

 ** _But I will say that the gap bewteen posting was not in vein, I spent most of it writing other chapters for the future (rough drafts at least)._**

 ** _So much has happened between when I last posted, RWBY had an alright end...some things were done well at the begining, others were not, when I saw Atlas, it made me think of Alita and the sky city in that movie._**

 ** _My birthday was great, the AH were funny as always._**

 ** _Again, posting this at 2 in the morning Sydney time, so kinda tired, really wanted to get this chapter out, but hope after reading it you found it to be alright, I am really looking forward to this next one, it will be good, so will see you in the next chapter._**


	15. Chapter 14: The First Mission

The morning started off quite quick in Zen's mind. The mission they had been appointed seemed to be an easy one, _according to Penny at least;_ A recon mission south of the Emerald forest, any Grimm there were to be disposed of.

In less than thirty minutes, Zen was to be dressed, finished breakfast, stocked, ready and waiting in the general assembly area where teams were to be assigned a professor who'd watch and assess their capabilities.

Everyone was there by the time Penny and Zen arrived, students from Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral and the local students of Beacon filled the auditorium. As usual, Ozpin was present to debrief the entire room.

"As you know, the Vytal festival approaches, and with it, the number of civilians visiting the kingdom increases with each passing day, possibly bringing their own emotional burdens with it being a busy time of year.

Grimm attacks will possibly be on the rise as a result.

So stay alert, anticipate any changes during your mission, listen to your team leader and remember to have each other's backs.

Although we have the assistance of the Atlesian military if need be, do not hesitate to let your guard down for even a second, you have your respective missions and the kingdoms of Remnant count on you to complete them without setbacks.

To the first years, note the professor you will be assigned may not be one from your academy, I can expect you to give them your full attention and respect as you would your own.

That is all, keep safe and good luck."

With the address complete, everyone but the first years exited the hall, the remaining students then approached the monitors to see who would be their professor taking command of each team. Though at first they crowded the screens out of curiosity, most people figured it was more efficient for their team leader to see rather than have the entire team check.

As Penny returned, Zen noticed two other students approaching them through the sea of people, he recognised one of the individuals, but had no recollection of the other.

 _Then again, I only remember seeing one of Penny's teammates during the events of the tournament._

Penny had seen them too and now waved them over. They were roughly the same height, the first one Zen noticed was a girl with a dark complexion, who wore a grey shirt, blue skirt as well as a matching beret.

She seemed to walk and behave in a disciplinary manner, firm in her step and back perfectly straight.

Next to her was a boy wearing a uniform similar to that of an Atlesian guard, except his attire was completely black with grey trimmings around the edges, he appeared slender and moved more naturally compared to his teammate.

 _The way she walks, people would think she was the android._ Was all he could think about as the two came closer, their expressions made him feel uneasy all of a sudden.

" Zen. These are my teammates., Ciel Soleil and Sivi Noir." Penny said, smiling as the newcomers came face to face with the pair.

"Please to meet you both." Zen said giving the appearance of confidence whilst concealing his nervousness.

"Likewise, Zen Discovery. However, as part of this team, we expect you are more than capable of handling a combat situation such as the one we will be facing in today's mission in an efficient and effective manner.

We may be down one, but I assume you will be at least an... _adequate_ substitute."

Ciel replied with a tone of authority, never once breaking eye contact with Zen. Sivi simply nodded in agreement since he felt nothing else needed to be said.

"..."

Zen stood awkwardly as he lowered his head whilst averting his gaze from the girl who had addressed him moments ago, feeling as though she was looking down at him.

Meanwhile Penny sensed the slight dent in his pride made by her teammate's comment.

 _He's probably mentally berating himself, wondering if he may become the burden of the team._

For the redhead, the day Ozpin had assigned Zen as a replacement for her absent team member was both great and indeed exciting news, especially with the progress he has made with her thus far.

 _If he was such an avid learner in practice..._

Shepostulated what he could do once he was outside of a controlled environment, and after some time thinking, came to the conclusion that Beacon's headmaster had made the right choice.

Though she wondered how receptive the rest of her teammates would be once they finally meet him was a question that sat in the back of her mind ever since.

And right now, the leader was trying to process the situation unfolding in front of her.

 _This wasn't how it was supposed to transpire_.

 _Why would Ciel even phrase her sentence in this manner?_

 _I know she has always had a stringent and orderly nature to her... but she's never cast judgement on someone's skills just after a simple introduction._

 _An adequate substitute? There has to be a reason?_

After a minute's worth of silence pondering, Penny spoke up, bringing order back to the group.

"It seems professor Port will be taking charge of us for today.

I've heard from my friend and her teammates he has quite a personality as well as a lot of fighting experience.

I have a feeling this is going to be an excellent first mission for us. So we should get going."

Once Penny took the attention away from him, Zen immediately appeared to relax somewhat, though she sensed he was still feeling anxious as to how the pair will see him once they're out and in possible danger.

As they left the auditorium, the quartet walked along the halls for a few minutes, the only sound coming from them were the echoes of their footsteps as well as other students who were either ahead or behind the group.

Before reaching the exit to the outside world, Penny halted the group abruptly.

" Zen, is it okay for you to go on ahead? There's something I need to discuss with Ciel and Sivi ."

She said while giving a reassuring smile to him before looking over at the rest of her team.

Nodding with an inane expression to him, Zen continued on along the corridor towards the exit.

As soon as he was out of sight from the three members, Ciel turned to her leader.

"Ma'am, I know exactly what this is about. But I'll still ask anyway, what did we need to discuss?"

"I'm glad you know, but _I_ will still say it to you. It has to do with the conversation you had with Zen."

"Ma'am before you-"

"I know you Ciel . And you're not the type of person to address anyone in the manner you did a few minutes ago.

So I will ask you...why did you talk to him that way?"

"Because..." She remained quiet for a few seconds, which although Penny could precisely time down to the nanosecond if she wanted to, felt like an aeon...and that was not what she wanted.

"The truth Ciel!" Penny almost yelled as her voice took on a different tone from her usual calm and cheerful demeanour, causing the girl being addressed by the android to take a step back uneasily.

"She had her reasons, and I'm not too hesitant in saying I agree with her." Sivi replied, stepping in-between the two girls in an attempt to handle the situation.

"Then _what_ were these reasons which could possibly cause you two to be worried about Zen?"

"We really weren't sure who Zen is, even when we finally saw him in person, we aren't certain."

"..."

Ciel took a deep breath closed her eyes, then exhaled sharply as she stared into Penny's eyes while she spoke, becoming serious as she was when talking to Zen.

"As part of our own rigorous training, we have a responsibility to be fully aware of all personnel who accompany us during missions.

It is essential to obtain all relevant information about said personnel as much as possible, and failure to do so could result in endangering your personal, as well as our safety.

Which, in turn, compromises our overall objective of protecting you during your time here at Beacon. Usually when the individual is a student of Atlas, the search wouldn't be too difficult.

His transcripts appeared to be sufficient proof of his skills and legitimacy, so upon initial inspection, everything seemed to be quite positive, which meant Zen is indeed an ideal addition to our team, and we'd leave it at that.

However, since you are the person we have been tasked with guarding, we must be stringent and make a thorough job of researching Zen's background.

And here's where things start to become a little vague..."

"Vague?"

" We decided to begin researching our newcomer by cross referencing his academic record with that of the fighting school he graduated from." Sivi interjected as he looked at Penny before allowing Ciel to continue.

"At first glance, all checked out fine, the principal and some of the head teachers confirmed he was indeed a student at their combat school, but when we reached out to those who would have graduated roughly the same time as him...they told us that they had never heard of any Zen Discovery.

Just so we weren't being mistaken, I had a close friend 'look' into their data base, and sure enough, we found no correlation with his attendance.

And that was only the start of our problems... personal life, activities outside of academia, his birth certificate... "

"The list goes on, there were just too many holes, inconsistencies...whatever you want to call it, the dots just didn't connect with his record. Seemed like he was off the grid somehow, least that's what we thought..."

"'Seemed like'? Why do I think there is a turn of events during your investigation?"

Sivi remained quiet and turned towards his teammate for a response.

"Well, after coming to the realisation of a potential insurgent in our midst, we immediately relayed our findings to Ironwood...we thought we were onto something, but after a day or so he debriefed us on the situation..."

"..."

" According to the general, though he said the information was classified, the important thing we had to know was that Zen's details are clear and correct, the inconsistencies that were mentioned are due to Zen living under a new alias."

"So after all this, you mean to say he is perfectly fine to be on our team... which I could have told you myself if you had bothered to ask me."

"It was part of our duty to be thorough. We thought you should know just to be safe.

Though with all that has been said, we both still think that any evidence to prove his skills or if he even have any are worthy for our team are...well, negligible at best... especially when you compare him to Ivory."

"What you two should realise as another part of your duty, which you learned when you were given the assignment of not only being my protectors whilst here for the Vytal tournament... is to follow my orders as team leader, and as _your leader_ I will say this now.

There is nothing to worry about regarding Zen's skills _,_ I assure you he is more than able to fight alongside us."

"But ma'am after what we've just described to you, surely you can understa-"

"Ciel . Sivi.

I realise that you two are doing your jobs both as huntsmen and military guards while showing no sign of slacking in either role, I am aware that you are going above your primary directive in order to make sure no harm comes to me.

In saying that, I also am aware you haven't become properly acquainted with Zen, and after what you've told me, jumped to the conclusion he could be a high priority threat simply because he appears to be hidden from available records... all of which has been cleared by our headmaster.

But more importantly, you've forgotten to realise that I have spent several weeks without your supervision while Zen was in my presence, yet no harm has come to me as a result.

And in that time, I have been training him, observing his progression as a fighter.

Beacon's headmaster, who was also keeping a watchful eye on the both of us, one day called us to his office, gave me the news about Ivory and suggested Zen join our team, not only because Ivory's absence would spell omission from the tournament if he didn't, but also because Zen demonstrated his ability to improve, so much so he has made it to here.

Therefore he is more than capable of handling any situation just as either of you, so please reframe from judging his capacity for the mission without observing his actions.

Now, you fully know, let's forget we ever had this discussion and treat Zen as our official teammate. Do I make myself clear?"

"..."

"I said do I make myself clear!"

The redhead turned to Sivi, who pretty much was lost for words, simply nodded in response to her attention on him. To which he, as well as Penny looked over to Ciel ... and after a few seconds she sighed and finally conceded.

"Alright ma'am, if you're sure he is not only a low level threat to this team, but also the right person to be with us as a replacement for Ivory... we will follow your lead and work our hardest alongside our new recruit."

"Well if that's settled, shall we continue on?"

With their confrontation settled, the trio returned to the journey which was their mission, and once outside, they could see Zen wasn't too far from where they exited.

He faced away from them, swords in hand, moving them slowly, tracing the path of his swings, almost as if he were meditating with his weapons, as if nothing surrounding him mattered.

"What's he doing? Surely he knows where we're supposed to go , doesn't he?

Why is he just standing there...was he actually waiting for us this whole time?"

Sivi whispered to Penny, who just smiled before turning to address him.

"You'll soon learn that Zen is the type of person who is worth having on our team because he is someone who values the importance of friendship, and will never ignore you if he senses something maybe troubling you."

"I really can't see why, I mean he's just met us, and after what I said to him..." Ciel responded, almost muttering her words so they wouldn't hear her.

"You'll just have to spend time with him to understand." The redhead replied.

Just as Zen finished following the motion of his swing, he realised his teammates were approaching.

"Is everything alright? Hope you didn't mind that I waited for you guys?"

Penny glanced over to the pair, who merely nodded in return.

"Yes everything is all good, and thank you for waiting for us."

Finally, the group reached the landing pad and began scouting for the ship which had been designated to take them on their mission. In doing so they spotted Ruby and her team, as well as Jaune and Pyrrha who approached them.

"Salutations team RWBY, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, are you all ready for your respective missions?"

Penny said in her always optimistic tone.

"We sure are Penny, gonna be handling a group of Grimm north of the Emerald forest with general Ironwood, should be a good fight, right guys?" Ruby said as she addressed her team, whom of which all gave a thumbs up to their leader.

"Lucky you, Goodwitch is taking us east of forever fall, simple patrolling mission, but hopefully we encounter Grimm or something exciting there." Jaune said with a slight tiredness in his voice.

"Why's that exactly?" Ciel asked.

"Nora's had several stacks of pancakes and an entire bottle of syrup. She needs to burn off the excess energy." Pyrrha said with the same tone as Jaune, but visibly was trying to suppress a chuckle.

"I HEARD THAT!" Nora yelled, as the red head and Ren were already waiting at the ship some several meters away.

"Whelp gotta go, you guys be safe okay." Jaune said as he gave a quick wave before running alongside Pyrrha towards their other teammates.

"How can she hear us from all the way over there, yet she can sleep through her alarm right next to her bed?"

"You too, and you guys take care as well". Ruby replied as she waved to both Jaune and Pyrrha as well as Penny's team, as the rest of her own team were already halfway to their ship, not waiting for their leader.

After everyone had parted, Penny, Zen, Sivi and Ciel noticed Port at the near end of the take off Zone, his light grey moustache poised in a raised fashion, suggesting there was a grin behind it as they approached the bullhead.

"Welcome aboard students, you can be rest assured that you are in safe hands with me leading you to victory.

No doubt you are all aware of the mission, I'll just need to make sure you know your roles when we get to the destination."

He said while everyone climbed into the craft as the engines came to life. Once Port signalled the pilots the all clear, it lifted off the landing pad and soared over the crafts below, awaiting their own take offs.

"When I knew the region we'd be allocated to for the mission and this being your first time fighting in Vale, I had our pilots perform a preliminary areal sweep of the designated location earlier this morning.

They've informed me that their scans detect a medium population of Grimm, most likely Beowolves, Boarbatusks and a couple of Ursae.

With your level of training plus my good self, they should be able to be dealt with within five to ten minutes... provided their numbers don't grow before we get there that is.

Now speaking of training, I have been told this is the first time you are all together as a team?

I take it you have gotten acquainted with each other to some extent?

"No, not really, this is the first time we've met Zen, but we've been told about his substitution for our teammate." Sivi replied with a yell, his voice nearly being drowned out by the roar of the engines."

"Perfect, nothing like a life or death confrontation to get to know your allies. But I assume you have been informed that he will be fighting alongside Miss Polendina, as this will be his first time he will combat Grimm, as well as his 'handicap'."

"Handicap?" Ciel and Sivi looked at each other and in unison, responding by looking over to Zen while acting confused by the news, despite knowing what this meant, but were still curious to see how he'd reciprocate when being confronted.

"Yeah see, I have this tendency to build mounds of dirt and place cows atop of them and call them Allen"

"..."

"Actually I am unable to generate an aura, so that leaves me vulnerable, hence why the armour."

 _Not quite the response we were going for, but his approach is a little immature._

The pair thought to themselves, though Sivi snickered at Zen's attempt to dampen the awkward situation he was presented with.

"Alright, have your laugh now, but when we get to the landing zone, I need you all to be on high alert, can't have anyone taken by sur-"

Port was cut off mid sentence as he heard the pilot interrupting them through the earpieces each of them were wearing, which allowed constant communication of information to be relayed between everyone on this mission.

 _"Professor, we just got word from Ozpin, change of plans._

 _An emergency beacon has been set off by a group of civilians who are being surrounded by a hoard of Grimm... we're the closest party to get there, ETA 2 minutes."_

"Right. You heard the lady, we're taking a detour on this mission, be ready when I give the order to drop."

"Permission to speak sir?"

Penny said aloud, after noticing Zen brace himself against the wall of the bullhead as it made a sudden course correction for their new destination.

 _Judging by how he's clinging to the side of the craft while partially looking both below as well as the interior, I'd_ _say he seems troubled by the current altitude we're at._

"Ah, yes miss Polendina what is it?"

"With your authorisation, Zen and I will land within the canopy of the trees, allowing him to take a sniping position.

Once I've ensured said suitable position has been taken, I will reconvene with the rest of my team below and assist with protecting the civilians.

As for Zen, he'll meet us on the ground once the threat level has been reduced enough to handle afterwards."

"You two have permission granted." He replied before looking out of the ship as he saw smoke rising above the tree line quickly approaching them.

"Alright, looks like we're approaching the drop zone, so let's see how well Ironwood and his staff have been teaching you.

On my mark...GO!"

As the others leapt off the ship, Penny and Zen scanned for a place to land.

Quickly, yet careful to maintain his balance, he drew his swords and stared down, watching the professor and his other two teammates fade beyond the tree line, he took a deep breath before looking over to Penny.

"I think this is a bad time to mention-"

"You're afraid of heights?"

"Yep...shows doesn't it?"

"It's going to be alright Zen, the jump is a short one, by the time we land, you won't even realise you were ever in the air.

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"I hope you don't mind being given the role of sniping Grimm on your first mission?"

"No, you're the leader, and I know you have to think of where each of us can be best useful in combat above all else, and honestly you're making the right call.

Although I want to see Grimm up close, the whole act of leaping out of the bullhead in a minute will definitely attract more of them, so the further I'm from those civilians, the less time we'll be spending fighting them off."

He replied in a slightly calm yet worrisome tone and somewhat reassuring smile, his eyes darting back and forth between Penny and the outer world.

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you, guiding you through the landing strategy."

 _"Hey you two. I know this might be you're first mission with us and we haven't really gotten to know each other, but do you mind and cut the chit chat._

 _Chances are we'll be ready to pick up those civilians by the time you two are done talking."_

The co-pilot said with a slightly sarcastic tone.

 _"Ignore him, he's just upset coz he didn't anticipate having to do actual work today."_ The female pilot responded.

"We're just about ready, could you please reduce your speed, we're aiming for the tree line rather than below it. "

"Rodger that."

"Okay Zen, on the count of three we're going to jump, aim for one of those trees below us.

When we get close, I'll signal for you to use your swords to quickly decelerate, then we can find you a spot to take snipers point." She said indicating to the mass of trees that the ship was coming around.

"On my mark, three... two... one...JUMP!"

The pair leapt off, Zen slightly ahead of Penny, his heart felt as if it had stopped, it was beating so fast, the wind whistling in his ears as he moved through the air and the trees that seemed so far, now rapidly grew bigger.

Just as he was a few meters from colliding with them, he felt a hand touch his back, indicating to him he should act now or else become a casualty of this mission. Glancing to his right he saw his teammate, swords in hand.

So Zen started to mimic the red head's actions as they were within striking distance of the foliage.

He raised his swords above his head before digging them into the semi hard trunk of the tree he was passing, greatly slowing him down, he slid lower down the tree until he pulled them out once the two of them found a suitable perch.

Assessing the situation, the pair could hear the screams of fear coming from the civilians not too far off.

"This seems like a good place for you to take aim, you shouldn't have to worry about any Grimm from up here, but just pay attention to your local surroundings as well as what's going on down there."

"Okay. You best get going, I'll start taking out as many as I can."

"If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to call for help."

"Alright, just be careful."

"Likewise, come down when you're ready or you think you can handle them."

Once the red head was sure he felt confident with where he was hidden, she leapt off the branch and dived below, after which Zen converted his swords into their rifle mode and zoomed with the scope to where the civilians were.

It seemed that whatever vehicle they had been using for their journey was now unrecognisable, smouldering a few meters away, bits of the wreck strewn all around the group.

One larger piece was being used as a makeshift barricade, separating the Grimm from their prey.

A large beowolf swung at a man standing nearby, its claws bouncing off his aura as they made contact, though they made a clean cut along the metal as the strike followed its path.

Zen felt his spine twitch, _if I was in place of where that man stood_... he dare not visualize the aftermath.

His sights lined up with the beowolf, it's paw reared up ready to strike again, his aim steady, breathing slowed, his heart beating in his head as everything else didn't seem to matter.

His finger began to curl before he squeezed the trigger. A loud bark came from his rifle as a trail of purple energy left the barrel, connecting with its target moments after.

The fierce Grimm that was about to finish off its target fell into a heap, black smoke emanated from where it once lay.

For a brief moment, this seemed to cause the surrounding Grimm to lose interest in the civilians as they looked for where the shot came from, before focusing their attention to the new group that joined the fray.

Zen peered through the scope and fired another two shots, taking both targets down, as he aimed for the forth he could see Penny had regrouped with the others and were already in combat.

Port swinging away with the battle axe, cutting down several beowolves foolish enough to attack him directly.

 _For his rotund appearance, the professor moved with a sense of rhythm._

One larger beowolf stopped a few meters behind him, giving a loud howl before it hunched down, Port slightly turned his head as he realised the creature was preparing to pounce.

Instead of choosing to face it, the professor slowly raised his right hand, making a fist in the process, almost as if he were signalling a squad of soldiers to cease their movement.

Just as the beowolf was about to leap for the kill, it was immediately halted by a holographic set of bars.

Once the red coloured virtual cage fully formed around it, Port lowered his arm as he finally turned to face the beast.

 _So that's how he caught the wolf in his story._

He let his blunderbuss do the talking, the minute the shell met with the beowolf, its body jolted from the force, not budging the cage, disappearing like the rest of its slain kin.

After Zen reloaded a fresh clip, he spotted Ciel taking on three Grimm simultaneously, dive rolling away from their swings, before cutting them down as she passed them with a six shooter revolver turned combat knife in hand.

Then his scope focused on Sivi, who kept his distance as he unloaded rounds into several Grimm with his rifle.

After initially seeing Sivi and his attire, Zen had pondered if he was some high ranking/special forces version of an Atlesian soldier, due to their uniforms being so similar.

But after much mental deliberation, Zen came to the conclusion that he must serve in the Atlas army in some form, after now seeing him with a helmet identical to the ones he saw when he was being escorted to Beacon.

 _Though I didn't see him wearing it while on the bullhead, nor did I see him carry it... so where was he keeping it until now?_

As for Penny, she was the one who seemed to be fighting the largest portion of the Grimm single-handedly, not moving at all like her peers, allowing them to attack first as she let her five blades make quick work of them.

After exhausting his final clip of sniper ammo he slowly scaled down the tree to meet with the rest of the group.

But once his feet were planted on solid ground, he reached for both his swords and not a moment sooner, sensing something nearby.

And sure enough, he came face to face with a medium sized beowolf _._

 _That thing must have sensed my presence while I was descending from the tree._

 _So much for paying attention to my local surroundings._

Within seconds of noticing, Zen's weapons were raised as it leapt at him, he blocked its sharp claws which were now pinning him to the ground, it's large incisors mere centimetres from his face glistened in the rays of the sun.

An image of the piece of metal he saw getting sliced by the first beowolf he killed flashed in his mind, but as it did, he attempted to push back against the Grimm with as much weight he could put behind his weapons.

And after a minute of forcing it back, feeling as though he was going to pass out, he managed to free his left arm and stabbed at its side, causing the beowolf to recoil in pain.

Once he felt most of the weight, as well as the odd charcoal smell from its breath leave him, Zen stood up and flicked both his wrists, allowing his weapons to transform into their secondary gun mode.

He then forced the tips of their blades into the black mass, piercing the hide of the wolf.

Feeling this, it's paws tried to dislodge them but to no avail as Zen pulled the triggers to both weapons, filling the Grimm with several projectile rounds, its body became lifeless as it slumped over, allowing him to pull the guns out with ease.

With that, Zen returned to the group and continued to keep the present Grimm at bay from the civilians.

And whilst fighting one single-handedly seemed like a life and death situation , combating them in an open area whilst being more aware where he could retreat if need be, seemed to be easier for him, then again he was fighting alongside his team now.

For another two minutes of so, the number of Grimm dwindled, and once there were no signs anymore were coming for the time being, Port gave the all clear.

 _"Alright pilot, do you copy?"_

 _"Yes sir, reading you five by five."_

 _"We're ready for extraction, several civilians, a few minor injuries but all able to be taken to safety."_

As the ship landed and the civilians were boarding the craft, all seemed to be going well, that was until another transmission came from the pilots.

 _"Professor, we got another group of hostiles approaching from the north, and they're approaching us fast, we just need a few more minutes."_

 _"Alright you heard her. We're not out of the woods yet."_

 _"Enough with the jokes sir."_ Sivi replied as he focused his rifle towards the direction the Grimm were predicted to emerge from.

Seven beowolves and two ursae emerged from the dense forest in front of them, though they never even had a chance to choose who to attack first.

Sivi was the first to attack firing several shots at one ursa, causing it to let its guard down and allowing Penny the chance she needed to launch her blades at it, two swords jabbing at either arm before pulling it towards her, impaling it on the other three.

Ciel rushed the other, converting her combat knife into its six shooter form, firing two shots at its head, before changing her weapon back so she could cut at its legs, causing it to go on all fours which gave her the chance she needed to slice at its throat before finally driving the knife into its skull.

Then the beowolves charged at them, but not before two had been decapitated by Penny's blades, another lashed out at Zen, who dodged the swing and brought one sword down, slicing it's arm clean off before he too decapitated his target.

Meanwhile Sivi and Ciel rushed the remaining five, their weapons peppering the grimm as the raced for the bullhead.

 _"Alright that's it, but we can- Alert! professor we have another contact, not make it two, BIG contacts, one ground, possibly a death stalker and the other in the air, most likely a nevermore. We need to evac now or else ETD 2 minutes.'_

 _"Alright everyone, climb aboard."_

Port yelled as Sivi and Ciel were the first to board, follow by Port. Penny and Zen were a little further from the craft, holding the forward defensive while the civilians were being loaded.

As they turned to run to the craft a yell came from both port and the pilot.

 _"Creeps 3 O'clock!"_

In that moment, the pair were cut off by the snarls of the two legged Grimm, to which the pair immediately reacted, Penny lunging at the more aggressive of the group while Zen slashed and stabbed at those looking towards the bullhead. Shortly after the pair were separated by the creep, Port's voice filled Zen's right ear,

 _"Hurry back to the ship so-"_

 _"Professor! We won't be able to fit anyone else aboard, we're going to have to leave these two here and make a return trip...and we have to leave now!"_ The pilot shouted, causing Port to fall silent after doing so.

 _"Wait, Penny take my place, I'll stay behind!"_

 _"What are you doing Mr Noir? Stay where you are."_

 _" I'm alright with staying, Penny is more important-"_

 _"Nonsense, you are all of equal importance and above all my responsibility."_

Once killing the last creep Grimm closest to him, Zen looked over to the bullhead, then down at his swords, for a moment as a thought was brewing in his mind.

After which, his focus turned towards Penny, who must have been pondering the same idea as he did, giving a reassuring nod when she had a respite between her and the next set of Grimm approaching.

Instantly, his hand raced for his earpiece, pressing it almost too forcefully as he yelled in response.

 _"Sir, take off now, while you have clear air space. Penny and I will be fine...you have the responsibility of worrying about the civilians and their safety. Go now!"_

"..."

 _"Trust me when I say we'll be waiting for you when you arrive."_

 _"...Message understood...stay safe you two. Okay pilot show me what this silver buzzard is capable of."_

With the blink of an eye, the craft jettisoned above the treetops and was gone from sight, the sound of a nevermore's caws echoed in the air as the bullhead's own echo died down.

It soared over head, while the sound of trees breaking could be heard, getting louder with each passing second.

T _hat death stalker isn't too far either_.

As Penny subdued the last stray Grimm, Zen could see the Nevermore rearing up, hovering just above where it could clearly see the pair, seconds later it took a nose dive and headed straight and true, ready to seize up its potential victims.

Penny stood in front, poised with her blades prepared for the attack, meanwhile Zen turned away, cleared his mind and proceeded to cut along the air diagonally, opening a portal.

Then without thinking or saying a word, he grabbed Penny with both arms and pulled her into the portal along with him.

As the pair fell out onto the other side, Zen quickly got up and mirrored his gesture, closing it as the Nevermore was almost within striking distance, he would have been able to touch its beak it was that close.

Looking around, he sighed with relief at the welcome sight of the landing pad they were standing on before setting off on this 'mission'.

 _Oh._

After his eyes' came back to rest, he realised Penny, who had been quite surprised by Zen's instantaneous reaction, was still laying on the ground.

"Are you alright Penny? Guess I was kinda anxious about getting the both of us out of there that I...you know..."

He responded while extending a hand to her, which she graciously accepted.

"It's alright Zen. What matters is that you got both of us out of there."

"So what do we do now?"

"I'd say we wait for them..."

Several minutes passed before the professor and the rest of the team's bullhead landed, allowing a medical team who were standing by to transport the civilians to safety.

When Ciel , Sivi and Port disembarked from the ship, they appeared astonished to see the two standing before them.

The professor's bushy eyebrows signalled a sense of relief on his face as he saw they were safe.

"But how?"

"My semblance sir."

"Well that is quite a handy semblance you have my boy.

When you told me you two were going to be fine I would never have guessed you'd be _this_ fine."

He paused for a second, looking over at the bullhead before looking back at the students before him, smiling as he spoke.

"I'll give your team a five minute break Ms Polendina, enough time for the pilots to refuel as well as restocking your armaments.

And then it's off to complete what we were originally sent out to do...excellent work students."

"Thank you sir, we'll be ready before then."

The professor nodded before turning and walked back to the bullhead.

Meanwhile Ciel looked over to Sivi just about the same time as he was looking over to her.

Slowly, the pair took it in turns to speak, garnering the other two's attention.

"Um... Penny, Zen listen, we...we want to apologise-" Sivi started.

"For the discussion which transpired this morning."

" After what happened during the whole evac situation-"

"We just kept thinking that the pilots needed to get back here and immediately drop off the civilians so we could come back for you..."

"But what you've done today, not only just with your semblance Zen, but your ability to fight off the Grimm... I think what I, as well as Ciel are trying to say is -"

"You have demonstrated to us that you are fit for combat within our team, despite having the 'setback' through no fault of your own. Even without an aura, you definitely express the characteristics and dedication worthy of an Atlesian soldier."

"Thank you... you don't know how much that means to me.

I, I don't want you two to think any less of me...and I will continue to, if not, get better at combat."

Zen replied, briefly glancing over to Penny who smiled with a sense of pride before returning his attention back to the pair in front of him.

Ciel paused for a minute or so, then continued, her expression shifting slightly, yet remaining positive in tone.

"That being said, we're unfortunately not going to be in the picture so to speak.

You see, Sivi and I have our own duties to attend to while here, since you'll have your own classes ma'am.

There could be a chance we'll be in one or two of the same lessons together Zen, but outside of missions, we won't have time to train as a group... which implies you're going to need outside help with training other than Penny if you want to be ready for the coming festival.

Though we said you're capable of handling a small group of Grimm and are now part of our team... you've still got a long way to go before you can compete effectively in the Vytal tournament."

Zen merely nodded, contemplating what she just said, before finally addressing her."

"I think I have a few people in mind."

 _Easier said than done._ He thought to himself while looking towards the largest spire of Beacon.

* * *

 _ **And look who decided to finally post the next chapter...this guy right here.**_

 _ **First I want to say sorry to those who have been waiting, I was stuck with this, mainly the delema of Ciel and Sivi not trusting Zen (or rather why) so that took some time to work out.**_

 _ **Second, though it has taken time, all was not a waste, because I have been working on a few chapters for the future (mainly about how Zen and Blake will interact)**_

 _ **As well as a few other Fan fic ideas for RWBY (one of them being the idea of what it would be like if Zwei and Blake swapped bodies...still thinking about when or if I would post it).**_

 _ **There were other things I would like to mention, but I think you've read enough for the time being.**_

 _ **Again sorry for the late entry, but I am going back to trying to submit within a three week timeframe.**_

 _ **Until next time.**_


	16. Chapter 15: Yang's Time To Herself

_There's gotta be a reason, coincidence even. No way I'm remembering things wrong, or could I be imagining what I actually heard?_

 _No, you're definitely certain about what happened, and even if that's the case-you still need to wait till Blake get's back to you._

 _How long could that take really?_

 _A day or two?  
A week?_

 _..._

 _Or did she only say that to keep the peace?_

New day, new dilemmas. At least, they were for a certain blonde, who was found to be rationalizing with herself whilst strolling along the cobblestone footpath that ran along the length of Beacon, oblivious to the rest of the world.

 _I mean sure, let's look at Patch for a second. The place doesn't have that much going for it, so all the tourist attractions are pretty much known to every local around the island- I would definitely describe the soft golden beaches differently than Rubes._

 _Or how about the closed walking tracks, how if you're not experienced in your sense of direction, you can get lost easily... but, to go so far nearly describing it nearly word for word?_

 _Or am I really getting paranoid over nothing, going so far that I'm distrusting my own teammate...why am I like this?_

Annoyance, confusion, agitation and frustration. An ideal choice of words she could use to best describe how she felt in her current state of reasoning.

With some free time before late afternoon lessons and her teammates busy, she spent the last half hour or so in the library, not to relax, nor to study. No, the idea of spending time in the library alone was less than pleasant, but she had one thing in mind...

 _Now I wish I hadn't followed through with it._

Yang thought before landing in a heap on a nearby bench, face buried in her hands, having no idea what to feel at that moment other than pure dismay.

Was there something she was missing? Was she really making a fuss over nothing?

The blonde couldn't tell, sitting in silence and letting her mind wander.

The first thing it came to rest upon being of course, trying to process just coming from there, head aching whilst remembering what happened.

The warm looking interior, a few murmurs and whispers by students in groups being the only sound that filled the building. With her intentions in mind, the brawler made a bee-line for the front desk, though confident in what she needed to look for, _asking was more than likely going to make things quicker then aimlessly searching for where to start_.

Approaching the desk, she was thinking what to ask as well as how to best phrase it without sounding too weird, considering she was trying to think two steps ahead of herself instead of the normal 'go with the flow' attitude.

"Hey um, excuse me?"

"Yes how can I help you?"

"Well, you see I was looking for information..."

 _Way to go Yang, couldn't have been more vague if you tried._

"Well you're in the library, so you've come to the right place at least. What type of information were you looking for exactly?" The librarian responded after blinking for a second, obviously thinking this some sort of joke, but decided to play along.

"Can you point me in the right direction to where you have books that talk about Atlas, specifically the provinces within it and what makes them so...I guess you could say the 'touristy' parts or whatever that makes them standout and unique."

"I see. Planning a holiday for after the Vytal festival?"

"No, not exactly, it's more for an assignment project."

With a nod, the librarian gestured to the geography and culture sections, to which Yang thanked her, and hurried (in an orderly fashion) to where she might find what she was looking for.

"Okay, Atlas, Atlas...At- ah, here we go, now let's see.

This looks promising, but there's a few here."

 _..._

 _"M_ ight as well grab all of them."

After selecting several books, she went to the nearest table and cautiously placed the stack before she plopped down in her seat.  
Spreading out the collection, she then began thumbing through the pages before stopping momentarily, looking away to ponder.

 ** _Hmmm_**

 _Now where was it he said again?_

 _It was Pleiades, wasn't it?_

 _Ah, here we are, Pleiades..._

Most of the books she read appeared to correlate with each other, though one book in particular grabbed her attention by the way in which it was written, seemingly somehow familiar:

 _A coastal city situated on the eastern coast of Atlas. Due to unique topography, it is the dominant hub for all imports and exports entering and leaving the kingdom by sea._

 _It is also the epicentre for all marine as well as aeronautical technical research and development, and with respect to the size of the port (serving as the largest port within Atlas, making it the largest in all Remnant), the city must be on the cusp of cutting edge technology._

Below the paragraph was a well illustrated bird's eye view of the port, with a caption underneath that read: _The Pleiadesian Port was built upon a naturally formed gulf (roughly one sixteenth the size of Menagerie) , relying on rock formations that act as natural sea walls to allow ships safe passage in land._

 _Another unique aspect of the province are the seven monuments that double as lighthouses dotted along the shoreline, these collectively are known as 'The Stars of Remnant'._

 _Prior to their use as guideposts for sailors, these monuments served several purposes, including guard towers that repelled enemy offensives (both air and sea) for not only Pleiades, but the inland cities and Atlas during the great war._

 _As the war came to an end they still served as defensive platforms against incoming Grimm travelling from the south, but with the progression of air defences and dedicated stationary guns provided by Atlas, the monuments became refuges for civilians during the highest levels of Grimm invasion, though they have not been used for this purpose for the last three decades._

 _Given the importance of this distinct group of structures, as well as playing possibly one of the most crucial roles in safe guarding the city's people and beyond; having the oldest and well documented history of its construction and operation prior to the war (possibly being the oldest surviving settlements built by the first group of humans who graced its shores), it was only natural for the origin by which the province garners it's name came from these seven buildings._

 _With the region being a coastal province, it boasts the highest number of restaurants that specialise in seafood, whether it be casual take away shops that grace tourists visiting the beaches or fine dining closer to the business district, they will always have the freshest of ingredients._

 _Given that the number of fishing trawlers (as well as other ships) that pass in and out of Pleiades by the day is in the hundreds, it's hard to argue that most if not all of Remnants seafood has been processed and packaged in Pleiades._

 _One of the most defining aspects of Pleiades' geography is where it is situated relative to the rest of the provinces, considering it is located within Atlas, it actually has the warmest of climates in the area, only getting to the frigid temperatures the northerly kingdom is known for during the winter months._

 _The last noteworthy characteristic Pleiades has to offer when exploring the region are its people, described as some of the friendliest in all of Remnant, you feel a sense of friendship even with the smallest of interactions with locals (speaking as someone who's only just visited the region for the sole purpose of writing this book)._

 _Pleiades is definitely a place worth visiting for the atmosphere it brings both by the locals and the surroundings, also showing to the rest of the kingdoms that the heart of Atlas is not the floating city at its' centre, no rather the heart of Atlas is to the east._

Upon reading the entire chapter, all sound in Yang's world seemed to fade. Her eyes fell away from the page, evidently zoning out.

 _H-how could this make any sense, I need to get some fresh air, a drink...anything to clear my head and remain calm._

She thought to herself as her mind began to race.

So here she was, sitting alone, thoughts drifting between past and present, wondering if things continue the way they were, she'd be falling into the same pattern as her teammate once did.

 _'We don't have the luxury to wait around for Torchwick...'_

 _This was a wasted effort, maybe I should have just gone to the gym instead. I mean, I have been wanting to up my weights this week and with no one else around, I can do it without Ruby worrying, or Blake's 'I told you not to push it' face._

 _It's times like these I actually wish I paid more attention to Weiss when she forced me to do a bit of research on my own. Perhaps I really am missing something._

 _'You need to understand that you can't keep pushing yourself!_

 _I did it once, and it nearly got my little sis killed because I was too stubborn... and just like you, I wasn't going to sit around and wait. I needed answers and I went out to find them before anyone could tell me otherwise.'_

 _'Yang-'_

 _'I'm no -we're, not asking you to stop, just please take it slow and get some rest.'_

 _Maybe I should follow through with my own advice..._

A good minute or so later, she sighed heavily before reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out her wallet, then, sliding her fingers into a hidden pouch within it, produced a neatly folded, yet slightly worn photograph.

As she opened it up, a small lump began to form in the back of her throat as the image stared back up at her.

The picture had been taken during the spring several years ago, with Ruby, Tai, herself and Summer posed near the cliff side, the same cliff side where Ruby would confide her problems to her mother. Whenever Yang needed solace, this photo was the one to always listen. But despite providing comfort in the end, the effects this piece of her life had on her every time she laid eyes on it remained the same.  
The memory of going back to the day the picture was taken, Qrow came to visit, for most of the day, they had spent the time out walking amongst the forest and when they came to rest at the view of the coast below, Summer wanted the moment to be captured forever, and being the good uncle he was (and not really one for photos) Qrow offered to take the picture.  
And when Yang thought about it, the day itself wasn't as eventful as other times they had been out, it was still enjoyable, however it was only a week later did Summer go on an important mission.

One that she would never return from.

 _Why did she have to leave?_

No matter how many times she tried to recount the many fond memories she spent with her mother; times like learning to dance, mini sparring matches and licking the batter from the bowl to then eating the cookies baked straight after.

No matter how much she tried to push those memories to the forefront of her mind.

They always faded, allowing the return of that final day she saw her super mom ... for the very last time.

She could recall it so vividly, as if somehow she was trapped to relive it.

She remembered how she was reading one of her favourite books _'The Breeze in the Brambles'_ , she had just gotten up to the part where Newt was escaping prison by train when -

 _"Yang honey, could you please come here for a second?"_

 _"Yes mommy."_

 _Running in excitedly, Summer in the kitchen, crucial equipment, ammunition and her prized weapons, a pair Kopis swords, their blades a brilliant silvery white, with the rose insignia etched on the centre of each hand guard._

 _All of which were strewn out on the table, with a young Ruby standing on tippy toes, fascinated by the sight of everything._

 _"There you are my child. Now, what were you doing before I called you?"_

 _"Reading."_

 _"Was it The Breeze in the Brambles?"_

 _"Awwwe...how did you know."_

Thinking back on it she recalled putting on a pouting face after her mom guessed correctly.

 _"Two reasons, one, you've loved that book ever since the day I first read it to you._

 _And two, as a mother I know what you're doing."_

 _"Is that why you're a better huntress than dad?"_

 _Her mother chuckled for a while before looking back at her things on the table as well as Ruby, who's gaze was now upon Yang... a giggle could be heard from the young rose. After a minute or so she returned her attention to Yang with a warm and tender smile._

 _"Speaking of, which is why I called you in the first place. Do you remember when your uncle Qrow came to visit us?"_  
 _  
_ _  
_ _"Yeah."_ _  
_

 _"Well not only did he come to spend time with his favourite nieces, but he was also here to give me my next assignment."_

 _"From Beacon?"_

 _"Oh yes."_

 _"Wow."_

 _"Wow indeed, I'll be going out on a very important mission, it will most likely mean I won't be back for a week or even longer._

 _So, in the mean time, I want you to be the best helper for me, can you do that?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"I knew you would."_

 _"Did you want me to come with you?"_

 _"You're too precious child, never change."_

 _Again she laughed warm heartedly_ , something Yang would give anything to hear once more, even if it was only for a few minutes.

 _"I'm afraid you're still not quite ready for that yet._

 _But the task you must undertake is of even greater importance- no, paramount to your first start to becoming a huntress."  
She pantomimed, raising her hand in the air, sun rays from the sky light above were shining down upon her for emphasis. Before lowering her arm and crouching down and placing a hand on Yang's shoulder._

 _"Look after your sister while I'm gone. There are many things in this world that can harm both of you and that is why I have to go out, to make sure those bad things can never get to you two or anyone else._

 _And before you say it, I know you've told me numerous times that you can look after yourself, I know you will, but your sister isn't quite ready for that yet, so I need you to take special care of her while I'm away alright?_

 _And once I get back, we can do all sorts of things, watching the sunset over lake tranquillity, go out and catch insects or even take a trip to Vale and just explore the city. That is if you do what I ask as well as what your father says while I'm away, is that okay?"_

 _"Yes mommy."_

 _"That's my little Sun dragon."_

 _She replied before enveloping her in a hug._

 _They both heard the sound of small footsteps coming towards them, to which Summer turned and opened the hug, bringing Yang's little sister in._

 _"Now the same goes for you too Ruby, remember that while I'm away you need to listen to your father and your big sister, can you do that for me?"_

 _"Okay mommy, I love you."_

 _"I love you too."_

 _She hugged the pair tightly before standing up and looking out the window, possibly at nothing in particular, lost in thought._

 _"Now you two go wash up for dinner while I finish packing my things. Then afterwards we can watch a movie before bed."_

 _Early next morning, Yang, along with Ruby got up to kiss and hug their mother before she departed, waving a loving goodbye before raising her hood and strolling in the direction towards town, most likely to catch the next airship to the mainland._

...

 _Three weeks had passed, and no word from their mother, though at first it was normal to not hear a word from her, given the line of duty doesn't allow scheduled hours for calling home, but for her to be away for this long...It must be a really important mission. Then one day, after returning from Vale for the day, their father sat them down on the sofa, kneeling just in front of the pair._

 _"Girls...there's... there's something I n-need to tell you..."_

 _He fell silent, his voice starting to break, and where Yang was sitting, she could see her father attempt to conceal tears that slowly welled up in his eyes._

 _"Dad, what's wrong?"_

 _"I-it's about your mother..."_

 _"Is she coming back dad?" Ruby asked innocently, Yang could feel her sister's hand squeezing a little tighter around her arm._

 _"...No honey...m-mommy isn't coming home..."_

 _And just like that, the man that was strong, funny, brave, and the idol of both girls, their father, broke down in tears with both hands covering his face._

 _This in turn caused the sisters to join in, clasping their dad in a comforting hug._

 _A few days later came the funeral, and as requested by the late Summer Rose, her grave stone was to placed near the cliff side overlooking the ocean, the first place on Patch where the morning sun's light touched. Uncle Qrow was there as well as several close friends of their mother's._

 _Yet no sign of Raven._

 _For several weeks the town's people of patch would offer their condolences, all of them being acquainted with Summer to some extent._

 _But for the Rose-Xiao Long family, their world felt like it would never return to the way it once was..._

* * *

"H-hey Mom. It's Yang here, it's been a while, I...I've been having some issues lately.

I don't know if my head's on straight or I'm just feeling the pressure of the end of year stuff going on, exams and the Vytal tournament.

The problem? Well, it's about Ruby.

Oh nothing is wrong per say, b-but I'm worried for her.

It has to do with this guy she met recently, and no, it's not that kind of problem.

I- I just don't know what to make of him, there are so many things that seem unusual about him, and- I know... I shouldn't judge ones character without having the chance to get to know them.

But he's just one of those people that causes alarms to go off.

I know that Ruby needs to live her life and, when the time does come for her to meet someone I should not interfere...but I don't think this is one of those times.

Its days like this where... I- I wish you were still around, that you never went on that mission."

Whilst seated, Yang gently caressed the photo with her thumb, lost in thought, until a shadow loomed above. Looking up, she was surprised to be welcomed by Ren, who merely stood there in silence till he finally spoke after the pair had shared eye contact for a few seconds.

"Hello Yang."

"Hey Ren." The brawler sighed looking at the ground before then staring back up at him with a confused expression, one eyebrow slightly raised as she addressed him.

"What are you doing here, and for that matter, where's Nora? I thought you two were virtually inseparable?"

"Oh we are, but she's with Jaune and Pyrrha, I was on my way to see them, but I noticed you here and wanted to see if everything is okay.

Is it alright if I join you?"

"As I live and breathe, Lie Ren, separated from forever together partner Nora."

She smirked which caused the green ninja to chuckle a little.

Shortly after, Yang resumed to look down as she slumped forward, irked by how apparent it appeared to her friend something was bothering her.

Remaining quiet for a while, glancing at the space beside her, then back to Ren,

finally motioning he was free to do so, she refolded the photo with one hand before stowing it away in its resting place.

After stuffing her wallet into her pocket, she sat up and turned to him.

"So is it that obvious that something is troubling me?"

"Put it this way Yang. In the time we've known each other, you have two distinct moods, you will either be telling jokes, being cheerful and a fun person to be around, or be volatile, looking for a fight if someone has gotten on your bad side.

Honestly, seeing this side of you is definitely different."

"..."

"See this is why I don't talk much."

 _ ***Sigh***_

"Forget it, I mean you're not wrong about how I can be sometimes.

And you're exactly right that there is something troubling me."

"Well I'm here to listen, so what's the problem?"

" I'm worried, worried for Ruby, or more importantly, it's about her hanging out with that new guy Zen.

I'm guessing things for you have changed after he came here, given how... you know, both of you have similar names."

"No, everything pretty much remains the same. Then again I have not had the chance of meeting him in person yet. The only time I've seen him is in sparring class, and even then that lesson is before lunch, and you know Nora.

I'm sure you've already heard about the match between him and Jaune the other day?"

"Yep."

"I will say he did okay to hold his own, but if I'm being honest, personally, I would focus on the work ahead of me if I were to compete in the tournament.

And that's putting it lightly, since Jaune has a... certain level of skill, though he is able to adapt quickly when needed.

From their brief conversation, he says that Zen seems to be a friendly enough person."

"So I've been told by Ruby, but I dunno, it's hard to... do you ever get the feeling about someone, that there's just something not quite right. I don't know how to explain it really."

 _ **Hmm**_

"Maybe you can tell me when you started feeling this way towards him."

"It began when he first came to ask Ruby for help with building a weapon and yes it sounds random, but I do remember him saying Penny was the one to suggest Ruby would be a good person to talk to about that sorta stuff.

Before they went, Zen made a comment about the poster we have in our dorm, you know who the Achievemen are, don't you?"

"Yes I've heard of them, though I find their music a little over the top."

"Anyway, so he mention's their newest member, Rimmy Tim, right."

"Never understood the purple and orange look if I'm honest."

"But that's the surprising thing, he didn't call him by his stage name. He referred to him by his real name, Jeremy. But after I asked him if he meant Rimmy Tim, that's when he must of realised what he said 'cause I definitely could see he didn't mean to blurt it out like that."

"But I heard that there was a recent press release about his whole name reveal, perhaps he knew as a fan or even someone who knew Rimmy personally."

"Exactly, and that's what Blake thought too, but she only said that after I had stopped at a newsagent that had just put out a special edition detailing the reveal, even Blake appeared startled once she read it."

" And you got angry over this?"

"Well it wasn't just that, he also knew the name of Ruby's scythe..."

"I mean, the way Ruby talks about her weapon, he was bound to find out its name sooner or later."

"Not helping Ren."

"Sorry, anyway continue."

"That moment I felt nothing but anger and confusion, he seemed to know so much about Ruby seemingly only just knowing her, he came from the best military academy in all remnant yet he came here with no weapon and even Jaune, _Jaune_ can beat him in a fight, nothing added up.

But then I calmed down, after Blake told me that she would talk to him about what's been going on."

"And what has she said?"

"She hasn't had a chance to speak to him yet."

"So this has been everything that started it all, correct?"

"Pretty much."

"So what about today?"

"It started yesterday, after we had been debriefed about how our mission went, we were actually returning to our dorm."

 _"So you think Ironwood enjoyed fighting with us?" Ruby asked while looking towards her team._

 _"Hard to say, he did seem impressed at least." Weiss replied._

 _"Impressed or not, we kicked some major grimm butt. And after a day like that, all I want to do now is take a long hot shower and curl up in bed."_

 _"That does sound nice, though I still have to finish where I left off in my recent novel."_

 _"Just saying Blake, the fact you can go through an entire novel in one or two days is somewhat disturbing.."_

 _"I don't read that quick Weiss, but I can get lost quite easily if the book is interesting enough."_

 _"No, I still stand by the idea of you picking up a new six hundred page novel as soon as the sun rises and then by night you've slammed it shut..."_

 _"I mean when you put it like that."_

 _Blake finally accepted her 'addiction' per say once all four of them reached their room, but as Weiss and Yang stepped in, she waited for her leader to follow only for her to turn and look back at where they came from._

 _"Are you coming Ruby?"_

 _"Actually, I think I might see if Penny and Zen are back from their mission."_

 _"Planning on training with them?" Blake asked with a slight smirk on her face._

 _"Yep."_

 _"Again?" Yang asked begrudgingly._

 _"Well... yeah. We gotta continue from where we left from yesterday."_

 _"Really? I'm surprised that you'd still want to train after all you've done today."_

 _"What can I say, I like to help when I can. If they do want to keep training, then I'll be back before lights out."_

 _"Are you positive you want to?" Weiss replied._

 _"You did take on several Beowolves and three Ursae before we even had a chance to support you, on top of that, you spent most of the fight using Crescent Rose's blade after using your ammunition up so early. I agree with Blake, you've definitely worked harder than all three of us."_

 _"I'll be fine Yang, trust me. And if I get too tired, I'll come back immediately so I don't fall asleep during tomorrows classes, unlike last time.."_

 _ **Heh heh**_

 _"You know if you have so much excess energy, you could take the time to work on that recent assignment professor Peach has given us."_

 _"Sorry can't talk Weiss, just got the message that Penny and Zen are back..." She blurted out behind her, with an outline of rose petals being the only sign she was ever there._

 _"Have fun." Blake called out as she watched her leader sprinting in the direction of the training rooms before going to her bed to read._

 _Leaving Yang to stand in the doorway, contemplating before finally closing it and taking a shower._

 _"What am I gonna do with you sis? You've always been so committed to being just like m-... being the huntress you've always wanted to be._

 _Sometimes I wish I could be half as focused as you are._

 _But you can't tell me you aren't tired, maybe even more so than the rest of us, yet you're somehow full of energy while happy to go and help...as if in no way you went on the same mission."_

"You really admire your sister, don't you."

"Well yeah, I've been taking care of her most of the time when our dad went out on missions. We've grown up together, and in that time, my little sis has always seen the good and kindness of someone, she never backs away from a challenge, and she worked hard for what she strives for."

"Returning to what happened it was late evening by the time they returned to the dorm."

* * *

 _"Remember Zen, it's always best to be unpredictable in a fight so it throws your opponent off of seeing any regular pattern, chances are they will adapt to your attacks if the fight lasts long enough...I know that's pretty obvious but hey, it doesn't hurt to go over the basics once in a while. Oh and also remember just because you do have a semblance, don't try to rely on it too heavily in a fight, with no aura to draw from, it may take a toll on your physical stamina."_

 _"I'll keep that in mind, though I think I could work on perfecting some of my weaker attacks, won't know how I can improve unless we just keep practicing to see where I go wrong._

 _Afternoon training session again?"_

 _Please say no Ruby._

 _"Yeah of course, you think I'd stop now?"_

 _I wish you did._

 _"Anyway, you two best be heading back, have a good night."_

 _"Goodnight Ruby, and pleasant dreams." Penny replied in her usual Penny fashion._

 _" I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _"Hey guys before you go, I wanted to ask something. Zen, you're from Atlas right?"_

 _Yang asked, just as the pair were about to turn and walk away._

 _In that moment, she thought she could have sworn Zen appeared to tense up for a second, as if his heart stopped, looking as if he was preparing to choose his words carefully._

"Yes, I'm from Atlas."

 _'Which part she'll ask.' HIs eyes seemed to say._

"Which region?"

 _'There it is.' Eyebrows twitching slightly in response._

 _"Pleiades. It's a city on the eastern coast of Atlas, it has the largest port in all Remnant, the gulf it was built upon is surrounded by rock faces that act as natural seawalls that then opens up to vast seas and is roughly one sixteenth the size of the island of Menagerie, making it the dominant port in Atlas for all imports and exports. And with so many ships entering in and out of the place, it's known to be the epicentre of research and development for marine and air technology.."_

 _"What else is there?" She replied, with a hint of interest in her voice._

 _"Well for one thing, it's name comes from the seven monuments that double as lighthouses which are dotted along the shoreline, they're collectively known as 'The Stars of Remnant'._

 _And prior to their current use for sailors, they served several purposes, one of them being guard towers during the great war, both repelling enemy sea and air offensives, and not just for Pleiades, but for the inland cities and Atlas too._

 _But when the war came to an end they were then used as defensive platforms to protect the city_

 _from Grimm invasions from the south._

 _But as the air defences progressed, along with dedicated stationary guns thanks to Atlas, they became refuges for civilians if a large scale Grimm invasion were to take place, though they haven't been used for that purpose in the last thirty years."_

 _"How do you know so much about them?"_

 _"Because... they're just so cool, they're my favourite places to visit."_

 _"I didn't even mention the most interesting thing about them._

 _As I said before, the city is named after these seven structures, they're the oldest and well documented buildings, maybe being one of the oldest surviving settlements for the humans who arrived on its shores built, plus their crucial role they've played in the history of safeguarding the city, no one would argue how fitting it would be...I mean, c'mon it was only natural for the city to get its name from them."_

 _"Are all Atleasians walking encyclopaedias or is it just you and Weiss?"_

 _Ruby jokingly said while she glanced between the two, which only garnered a glare from the ice queen and a 'really' deadpan stare from Zen._

 _"Oh and I almost forgot the best reasons why Pleiades is a great place to visit-"_

 _"Since when did this become a travel guide, all Yang asked was where you came from." Weiss said as she turned to face them, not wanting to miss the chance to join in the fun._

 _"Well she did ask yes, but hey I guarantee she was going to ask me about Pleiades in detail. Were you going to ask me to elaborate, Yang?"_

 _"I kinda was going to..."_

 _"See I knew you would." He triumphantly said raising his index finger much like Dr Oobleck would when making a point._

 _"But yeah, Pleiades has a few things going for it, one of them being its location within the kingdom, being a coastal city, it has heaps of places that specialize in seafood, be it take away or fine dining. Simply just by the number of fishing trawlers, and other ships that pass in and out of the port number in the hundreds a day, pretty sure that most if not all of Remnant's seafood has been processed and packaged in Pleiades."_

 _As he said this, Yang could tell Blake was glancing over to him, her eyes were practically glazed over at the mention of fish._

 _"The other thing is actually surprising even when I found out, Pleiades has the warmest climates in the area, only getting the really frigid temperatures the rest of the provinces are known for during the winter months, so it's actually great to go to the beach and just walk along the shore with the sound of the ocean in the air._

 _The final thing I'd say that makes Pleiades special is really the people there. I mean Pleiades is home, I've known nothing else, all my family and friends are there._

 _But I've seen it's been described as having some of the friendliest people in all of Remnant, like you can feel a sense of friendship with each person you pass, I know that sounds corny but I wouldn't say that it's not an incorrect assumption._

 _There's be nowhere else I would rather be, but sometimes in order to really appreciate something you have to lose sight of it, and though I may be away from my home, the new experiences , finding out how things work outside of Atlas, and the potential friends I can make, it makes returning home all the more enjoyable when the chance does finally come."_

 _"..."_

 _"Sorry, I guess I got carried away a bit, guess being anywhere other than home seems almost alien to me, but I need to spread my wings, explore the rest of Remnant and meet new people, though I'm still just a little homesick is all."_

 _"Ah don't worry about it, you'll feel like that for maybe the first week or two but after that, you'll not want to leave Beacon once you get to know everyone more." Ruby replied happily before lightly patting him on the shoulder._

 _"Hang on, isn't Pleiades where the 38th victor was from the Vytal festival when it was held in Vacuo came from? Calypso Kítrinos I believe it was." Yang replied breaking the moment._

 _"I don't recall if she was, then again, I didn't really pay attention to that tournament that year."_

 _He said, appearing as though he tried not to visibly stutter._

 _"Whelp, she was and it was actually really cool to see her fight, you should look it up?"_

 _"I might do that, well I think we better head off now, we'll see you tomorrow."_

 _Just as the pair were about to turn and leave, the ever excitable corgi darted out from under her bed and was at their feet in mere seconds, his little pink tongue dangling as he looked up at them with a welcoming stare._

 _Zen squatted down and started petting him._

 _"Awe, man you really are a good boy aren't you Z-"_

 _Did he honestly cut himself short from saying Zwei?_

 _"Oh yeah this is Zwei, me and Yang's dog... but don't mention him outside of this room since we're not really allowed to have pets here." Ruby said as she tenderly picked him up so he could be within licking range of his owner and petting range of Penny. A second later she blinked and looked back at Zen with a perplexed expression._

 _"Hang on, you almost say his name, didn't you?_

 _How did you know that his name started with a Z even though I didn't mention him at all to you."_

 _There it is._

 _"The...collar?"_

 _"...Well duh, how could I forget." Ruby laughed after palming her forehead._

 _Not buying that somehow._

 _"He's so adorable."_

 _"Yep. And he also goes by the name of señor fluffy pants."_

 _"If you're Weiss that is." Blake said, tilting her head in the direction of where the white haired girl sat._

 _"I do not."_

 _"Yes you do, I've heard you call him that when you've thought no one was around to hear you say it." Ruby teased without breaking eye contact with the girl in question._

 _"Anyhow, I think we better head off, see you tomorrow."_

 _"Yeah I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _She waved a good bye to them, Zwei still in hand until they were out of sight before she closed the door._

 _"Think I'll take a shower now. Is it okay if I put you down, señor fluffy pants?"_

 _"Ruby!"_

 _"So... did that sound right to you Weiss...with what he said about his home town?"_

 _"Yes, all of what he said is an accurate description of Pleiades, anyhow why did you need me to confirm it?_

 _If anyone I'd thought who'd be interested would be Blake, and no guess as to why."_

 _"Hey don't act like you wouldn't love to sit on the shores and eat fish and chips while listening to the waves rolling back and forth along the coast."_

 _"Blake, you realise that you're drooling-"_

 _"Can't a girl dream...wait what?"_

 _"Anyhow, if you're that interested why don't you go read up on Atlas- Blake where are you going!"_

 _"I'm going to see if the cafeteria is still open, and if it is, I'm going to get some calamari, I suddenly have a craving for it."_

* * *

"So let me guess, today you went to the library, read up on Pleiades and you're still not happy despite what he said was true."

"Ren, one of the books I read was almost word for word what he said, now tell me that doesn't raise any red flags?"

"I will admit that is very unusual, I would-"

At that moment Ren's scroll began to hum, a fitting lack of ringtone to match Ren's quiet nature.

"Hold on, it' s Nora. She's probably wondering why I'm late. Hello."

 _"REN WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU CAUGHT BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND BEYOND!"_

"No Nora I am not, also remind me to never let you watch Sunportal again, no I'm actually just sitting here talking to Yang, rather listening more than talking, seemed like she just needed someone to talk to."

 _"WELL ARE YOU DONE TALKING AND LISTENING, WE'VE GOT THE SPARRING ROOM BOOKED AND I NEED YOU HERE ASAP, OTHERWISE YOU WON'T SEE ME MOP THE FLOOR WITH THEM."_

"Okay, I'm on my way. See you soon."

 _"YOU BETTER, OTHERWISE YOU'LL MISS THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY."_

"Well looks like that's my queue to head off."

"Thanks for stopping Ren, and...I really did need someone to talk to about this."

"Just a word of caution to you, misplacement of distrust of the right person can be equally dangerous as misplacing your trust in the wrong person."

"You know after what I've told you there is no way I can easily do that."

"Yang, before I go, I'm going to say this to you as a friend, you remember when you once told us about the mission to mountain Glenn, how Doctor Oobleck asked each of you _why_ you wanted to become huntresses?"

"Yeah, but I don't see how that-"

"Well right now I'm asking you, _why_ are you feeling the way you do when it comes to Ruby and Zen training together?

Yes I'll admit it's somewhat odd that he seems to know things about Ruby, but don't forget he is living with Penny, and she's bound to have talked to him about her, and given its only been a short while they've been together, by the sounds of it, she seems to be having fun and perfecting her own fighting techniques while teaching someone else. Also you mentioned how much you admire your sister, and one of the things being she see's good in everyone, if you want to be a little more like her, maybe start from there."

"..."

"First off, think how this new friendship affects Ruby, then work from there."

In spite of her own reasoning, Yang hated to admit it to herself, there was one silver lining in regards to Zen's involvement with her little sister.

Ever since Ruby started helping Penny train Zen, she got to spend more time with the red head, which considering beforehand Zen entered the picture, the girl from Atlas was virtually MIA as far as Yang was concerned, with her private lessons (whatever they were).

"Maybe, for now, the best thing to do is wait, this is causing you stress and as you said, Blake is going to talk to him. Blake later comes back with nothing out of the ordinary, you should try to get to know him, have a better standing than you currently do."

He said before pushing himself up and preparing to leave her to consider what he said, only getting a few steps from the blonde before she spoke, only causing him to turn his head back to her and respond.

"And if Blake _does_ come back with something unusual?"

"Then what I would have to say is, it's up to you how you handle the matter, but make sure that if you do something... just be sure you won't get yourself, or those close to you in any trouble, or worse, potentially something you may regret."

* * *

 ** _And so it appears that I have returned to my creation, and a lot has happened...quite alot fires here in Aus, and well, Idon't think I need explain any further.  
All I can say is please just follow medical procedures and keep safe._**

 ** _Second, Thank you so much, as of writing this, Foresight has hit 5,400 viewers (I don't want this to come off as a numbers thing, but I am happy to see that many people have taken the time to read it)_**

 ** _Also I have (originally intended but never got round to doing it) change the chapters to give them titles._**

 ** _So the actual foot notes of the story:_**

 ** _Sunportal = Stargate (favourite sci-fi show- SG1 to be specific)_**

 ** _Just in case anyone was confused with the book that Yang read that talked about Zen's 'home' ,the convention I am going is that the name of the capital city of a Province is also the name given to that province. And for a kingdom, it means both the continent and the capital city, so for example Vale is the capital city and Vale is the continent._**

 ** _It's like saying (for the provinces and city) if the state of Texas had its capital also called Texas (as oppose to Austin)- I know it's a little confusing, but I wanted it to seem as though the history of cities were the result of early humans naming their first settlement after the continent they landed on (then changing the province names as they spread out, but keeping to the same convention)._**

 _ **I remember in history class at one point, Australia was given the name of New South wales for a good portion of the country but the started froming the states we know today.**_

 _ **I wanted this chapter to be out ages ago but of course the fires happened, I was safe, but that didn't mean I could relax about what was going on, also been working on those other fanfics also, so maybe you might see those pop up, whether I decide to publish them soon.**_

 _ **Any how I hope you like this chapter and be hoping to get the next one out in less than 6 months.  
** _


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